


anything for her.

by ffxo



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, Love Triangles, Set in NYC, Smut, Soulmates, Toxic Relationship, Unrequited Love, beronica (rivalry), bughead - Freeform, varchie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-01-15 11:27:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 57,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18498016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ffxo/pseuds/ffxo
Summary: “unconditional love is known as affection without limitations, or love without conditions.” in an exclusive society where social currency is determined by wealth, sex, power, and following the script; Betty and Veronica are two sides to the same coin. best friends, with a twist. and when Archie falls for the vulpine Veronica, he becomes entangled with her jealous best friend Betty too.“Prove to me that you love me” Veronica tells him, and because the lines between wrong and right are so blurred in their classy corrupted lives, it begs the question; how far will Archie go to prove unconditional love?





	1. first things first

**Author's Note:**

> *omg* hi everyone, i’m so excited to be posting again. As you all know I’ve taken a hiatus from my other multi chap (the lucky ones) to participate in the varchie annual (hopefully) ficathon! We were so deprived of different tropes in this fandom, so we got to thinking and decide to make a list of all the tropes- and for each writer to choose one! I actually made this one up myself, so I’m no so sure how people might receive it, but I’m excited to know 😃 
> 
> that being said, I have to address a few things and the first being that you shouldn’t expect the usual sweet varchie in this fic, I’ve been really inspired after watching a lot of (good) murder mystery shows like Elite and HTGAWM. And I wanted to see what it was like to take a darker twist on our usual high school sweethearts. so, tw on that. 
> 
> disclaimer : there are unhealthy elements to every relationship in this story and I want to make it clear that this obviously isn’t good or healthy or any kind of “aesthetic.” please be warned! 
> 
> this first chapter more or less spans out over the course of just a weekend, with certain flash forwards (that you will see) but expect that the next two or three chapters are going to be a lot more fast paced! I just wanted to introduce everything in this world properly and with ease. 
> 
> I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but with a lot of support and love and reassurance from my varchie writer girls ❤️ I decided to go for it. I have to give thanks especially to yani who helped proof read this like she always does with my last fic too. And with that, I dedicate this to my loves at the Varchiedale discord, and the entire varchie fandom. 
> 
> And don’t forget to leave me your love too 💕
> 
> without further a do let’s get into it.

_\- Ladies and Gentleman_

_To those among you who are easily frightened, We suggest you turn away now_

_To those of you who think you can take it_

_We say Welcome to The Mad House -_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
_21st May, 2019_

 

 

He feels the heaviness in his pocket like it weighs a thousand pounds. To anyone on the outside, there he was; just another rich boy with a stuck up attitude, another fucking snob. Archie can’t pinpoint the exact moment his heart started racing, but now it’s beating so fast he can’t _control_ it. His thumb shivers in anticipation, forefinger tracing over the steel object in his pocket like the most precious thing he’s ever beheld. And he’s terrified, like he has felt for most of his life.

  
He tries to not think about it. Deep breaths, count to ten. Who taught him that? Veronica, of course. The only person who’s ever been there. Every panic attack. Every sleepless night. Every lonely dawn and every crippling dark dusk. And now, he’s lost her.

  
“Are you okay, son?” The cab driver ahead of him sounds.

  
Archie snaps his eyes up and meet’s the driver’s in the mirror. “Yes.” He slowly mumbles, not sure if he can hear because Archie can barely hear himself. If he knew who Archie was, or rather, what he would become, the pale old man would’ve never let him get off his taxi that rainy Saturday night on the corner of Madison and 52nd. But he staggers out and immediately feels the ground beneath him start to shake.

  
Nothing is steady anymore. He remembers all the voices in his head, always been sentimental, and every moment of the past months having gone unnoticed before it all comes down on him in a dizzying clarity. He ventures into the park and there’s birds singing when his heart is breaking, he’s high _enough_ without any drug. It’s the strangest feeling- the juxtaposition between being too high and too low, terrified and also beating with a newfound courage, paralysed to his spot while he feels like he’s running a hundred miles an hour. The last trace of liquor on his lips and an unwavering thudding in his heart.

  
When Archie looks in the glistening river, he doesn’t know what to see. He used to be as pure as it once, but now Archie feels possessed. _Archie Andrews. The Golden Boy. The Nice Guy. The Perfect Boyfriend. The Goodhearted-_

_Archie Andrews. Betrayer. Heart breaker. Pain._

 

  
He doesn’t know who the hell he is. Never has, but especially not now. Never has. Never has. Never knew who the hell he was.

 

  
All he knows is the hurt in her eyes, penetrating deep in his soul and rocking the entire world like everything she ever does. He knows that she’s broken and angry and she’ll blame herself. Archie can’t let that happen. Veronica’s never done anything wrong. All she ever did was _love_ him, and then Archie just feels angry. He’s angry at the missing pieces of his life and the voids that were left unfilled by never present parents, the big cold empty house and no one caring, the doors that were slammed in his face when they didn’t want to look at him anymore- he’s angry at himself for being so stupid and being angry enough to leave her but loving her anyway. For the kisses that left marks deeper than just the skin, words that hurt harder than a hot white knife, for every time she told him _fuck everyone else._ For every time they ran away together and then he felt peace, even in the chaos and the violence living in them. He knows how her hands feel in his hair, he knows how she studies the topic before they learn it so that she’ll be ahead of everyone else. He knows things about her no one else does. He knows her screams and shouts when they’re fighting, and she’s haunting him but he doesn’t mind it. He knows how she cries, in front of no one else but him, he knows her darkest secrets and her simple dreams and he knows her troubled heart, her miserable soul, he knows that her tears are black. Like a dripping masterpiece down her caramel skin. He knows now that he was the colour in her life and she put assurance in his, that it wasn’t her who was _crazy_ , and that he loves her in the kind of way that he would do _anything for her._

 

  
“Betty?”

 

  
He loves her, and that’s all Archie really knows.

 

“Archie” her eyes light up like the moon, green and hypnotising and enough to get lost in. Half of her face is lit by the moonlight, her long hair dropping across one shoulder. “You came”

  
He’s feeling every single thing at once right now. Fingertips ghosting the trigger again- he takes a step forward. If it’s for _her, though,_ Archie doubts he will feel anything at all.

 

 

 

 

 

                   x:x:x:x

              _9 months earlier_

__

 

 

 

  
When Veronica Lodge walks off the private jet, it’s with gall, looking more beautiful and worldly and sophisticated than before. The summer of junior year, she’d followed her parents to their French home for a sabbatical, spending hot summer days in Parisian boutiques with Hermione and being dragged by the high esteemed Hiram Lodge to the city so she can have a view of what Lodge Industries’ meetings in the big league looks like.

 

Now, it’s windy, and lively like she knows the city to be, with adrenaline already scorching through her veins because this is her _home_. Her best friend since birth, the prodigious Elizabeth Cooper is standing at the end of the tarmac with electric green eyes and some kind of sadness mixed with her excitement. Veronica dismisses it because she sees Archie, who’s her boyfriend and is waiting for her too, three feet away from the blonde girl next to him. Archie, who’s beautiful and sweet and makes her heart giddy, Archie who loves her and has rocked her world and is all _hers_. It makes her eyes feel like pools of tears and her heart swells a little at the sight of him, red hair and tanned summer skin and all strong lines of masculinity. Betty is shrieking and running to envelop Veronica in a hug, her skin warm and feeling like coming home.

 

  
“I missed you so much!” The girls almost cry, even though Veronica tells her it’s nonsense.

 

  
“You saw me two weeks ago!” The wicked eyed brunette states coolly.

 

  
Betty links their arms together and kisses her on the cheek, head shaking. “As if that was enough. I still have so much to tell you. New York City hasn’t been the same without our main bitch.”

  
Veronica beams, but lets out an excited squeal before leaving Betty and barrelling towards Archie, who’s been waiting for her with a patient smile. They wrap their arms tightly around each other, fitting just perfectly, and it gives her that instant reassurance she always needs to know that they were made for each other. The way his heartbeat is steady against her ear, and their lips lock like magic and fireworks, Archie can’t stop kissing her because he’s so happy to see her; and Veronica can’t stop giggling because she loves him and wants to tell him everything.

  
They get in the car and it’s almost like she’s never left, but also been missing for far too long. The streets smell like sugar and oil and there seems to be a tinge of heat revealing the derision of summer’s final day. Veronica can feel her blood pumping when she turns her phone on, legs carefully cushioned and pressed against Archie’s with her brand new, not-yet-released Birkin bag on her lap. There’s all the buzz on social media, but Betty knows it’s the same in real life too.

 

_All about Veronica Lodge coming home._

_  
Did you hear Veronica’s back? Just in time for senior year!  
Veronica’s back and her parents’ homecoming party is tonight and I’m invited.  
It’s black tie like always with The Lodges, I wonder what Veronica’s going to wear.  
Are you going to go to The Veronica on opening day?  
Betty, is Veronica coming to school on the first day?  
Veronica’s back and Archie Andrews is the varsity team captain- they’re going to be a power couple.  
Veronica’s back, do we have to wear black bows on our uniforms again?_

 

 

“So tell me, were all the French boys at your lycée as _hot_ as the ones we met on the _Vive la Liberté_ cruise?” Betty bounces excitedly, still not letting go of her friend once they get in the car.

 

  
The raven haired heiress just raises her brows, peeking up from her phone screen. “Of course. But I didn’t pay any of them any mind, because I was just thinking of _my Archiekins_.”

 

  
She shuts her phone off and smiles sweetly at him. “I’ve missed you so much, I’ve missed us so much.” It’s true, eve though both Archie and Veronica have been back and forth from Paris to New York every few months to see each other. It just wasn’t enough. They first started dating not long before her parents announced their sabbatical to the city of love, and the two young lovers couldn’t be more heartbroken.

 

  
“Me too. I haven’t seen you in too long.” He murmurs, left arm pulling her legs higher up on his lap as he gives her those puppy dog eyes.

 

  
“I’m back now, baby” She tells him with the softest look he’s ever seen in those deep dark eyes of hers. She truly missed this, and the emotion feels stronger now that she’s _back_ , and realising what she hasn’t had for so many months gone is here again.

  
Betty watches them with her lips set in a straight line, peeking at them through her long blonde lashes as she pretends to be absorbed in some fashion magazine in the limousine. “Let’s go shopping at Chanel after you stop at home V!” She cries, giving Veronica and Archie that pleading look.

  
Veronica rolls her eyes darkly at the blonde, and Archie’s hand starts drawing circles on her thigh to calm her. “I just got here, B.”

  
“And it’s not my fault your parents threw a last minute homecoming party. Come on, Serendipity’s after? My treat”

  
“No thanks. Unless you _want_ to be all bloated before the first day of school”

  
Betty relents, calculating the amount of calories in a banana split like they always do before sighing. “We can get a private dressing room and have a fashion show then! You and I need new Fall clothes too”

  
Archie laughs and rests his head on the leather seat tiredly. “As if you haven’t gone shopping every other day of summer, Betty”

  
Betty giggles guiltily, although not at all. She’s incredibly happy that her best friend is home, and the three of them who grew up together- always a close knit group; are finally back to being this again. But another part of her feels awful and it’s the part that wishes Veronica would’ve just stayed in Paris, maybe then she wouldn’t have to pretend like the girls at school don’t like her better, or that the cheerleading captaincy doesn’t just belong to her alone, both girls being voted co captains at the end of last year before Veronica left, and that the insistent competition that always comes with her best friend being around or even her sunny summer days with _Archie_ isn’t hers anymore. It’s time to share everything with Veronica again, before she completely takes it over.

  
“You two went shopping together?” Veronica questions. She sounds almost shocked and a little bitter.

  
Betty glances briefly at Archie, realising the slow thrill of playing games with Veronica also consisted in her own fair share of _winning_ , and right now, she has the card of jealousy to place forward. “All the time!” She says nonchalantly, leaning closer to Archie and Veronica. “What else would we do without you around, V?” She concedes playfully, and smiles brighter when she sees the dark scowl Veronica tries to hide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
                  x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

She and Betty come flouncing in the doorways of her penthouse half past noon, with bags filling both arms and a doorman following behind them. She swipes her card on the security alarm before continuing into the foyer, high heels clicking on the marble floor beneath them. There’s so much to this house that she’s missed. The high rise aesthetic of it is certainly different from the romantic, homey ambiance of her parents’ place in Paris, with their boat on the dock outside and a river that actually leads into the city. As much as Veronica adores the French indulgence though, nothing can compare to her balcony with a bar and hot tub overlooking the Upper East Side.

  
“You have to take my word on this, B” Veronica sighs, taking her sunglasses off and setting it on the living room table. “That chiffon scarf was way too pale. I know you say you got a tan, but it still washes you out”

  
Betty just rolls her eyes in response. “You’re just saying that because _you_ want it.” Veronica doesn’t oppose, giving her a cheeky look. “But I’m happy as long as you trade me that zipper skirt.”

  
“Deal” Veronica agrees, even though both girls know they’ll most probably end up sharing the two clothing items, as they do most clothes to the point that half the outfits they wear are blends of each other’s closets.

  
There’s the distant sound of stilettos as Hermione appears in their arched doorway from the kitchen, dressed in her usual business casual styled ensembles and cream coloured heels, even as they’ve just come home after a long flight. She always says a Lodge knows no boundaries when it comes to fashion and business. “Am I interrupting fashion talk?”

  
“Hi, Mrs Lodge!” Betty jumps up and waves excitedly, her smile wide and pearly.

  
Veronica glances up at the ceiling and purses her lips. “What’s up, mother?”

  
“Well, I thought I’d tell you later but oh- might as well with both of you here” she goes down the short distance of steps between them and settles both hands on her daughter’s restless shoulders, fondly. “Maya delivered the official logo for your store. It’s here!”

  
Veronica’s expression quickly changes from bored to one of shock. She looks at her mother in disbelief and then turns to Betty, suddenly not able to contain her excitement with a momentary squeal escaping her. The only reason Veronica hadn’t been completely down trodden about leaving New York for a whole year was because of the promise her parents had made her, that they’d finally take her designs to a professional and start looking at store locations and calculating numbers together. She’d got plenty of inspiration of the Parisian chic kind while there too, and seeing the logo that would be printed on tags and her front door, and hopefully billboards and soon the instant tell tale sign of a _Veronica_ original, it’s like the first step toward her big dream.

 

“Let’s see it!” She’s practically bouncing in anticipation when Hermione presents the big white box on the table in front of them. She slowly slides the lid off, and Veronica bites her lip until she sees it. The initial joy immediately falls from her eyes. The logo is gorgeous, imprinted on a tote bag that they planned to give to everyone in the store on opening day. She’s almost sure it’s exactly how she imagined it, gold and black and glittery, the enticing letters sprawled in just the perfect way, but-

 

“B, can you leave us alone for a moment?”

  
The blonde, who’s been trying to get a look over her friend’s shoulder takes the sherbet lollipop out of her mouth with a popping sound. “Sure”

  
She disappears up the stairs into Veronica’s suite, and Veronica drops her palms on the surface of the table so she can look her mother straight in the eye.

  
“Mom, this says _Veronica Lodge_. And I told you I don’t want our last name on it, this is _my_ project and _my_ brand. I thought we established that and I hate this.” Veronica says each word precisely to get her point across.

 

  
Hermione looks taken aback by her daughter’s candor. “Why?”

 

  
“You and daddy helping me is nice and all, but I could definitely use some space. This is supposed to be something I did for myself. You need to let me do some things my own way and not put your finger in _everything_. And Lodge Industries has a ton of businesses under it’s belt. It doesn’t need this one.” She takes a deep breath. “I’ve done everything to prove to you that I can _handle_ this on my own if you would just _trust_ me. So, you should tell daddy that. And don’t change my designs. If anyone wants to discuss any matters of this line they’ll talk to _me_ first. And that goes for PR, models, all of it. You and daddy have planned out _every single thing_ in my life and I’ve always been obedient about it, so for once could I _please_ figure this out on my own for gods sake?”

 

  
Hermione takes a few seconds to absorb what she hears. “You don’t know what’s best for you, honey” she says “Daddy and I do.”

 

  
“I don’t want people to see this as just another Lodge Industries pop up. I don’t _want_ anything to do with it!” When people see her clothes, and the brand in general, Veronica wants them to think of her. For once in her life, to just have something that wasn’t planned as soon as she was born or part of an agenda to be the best and brightest in every situation.

 

“What is it with you? You’re acting all delusional for no reason” Hermione’s face darkens as she wipes down the invisible creases of her pantsuit and looks at her daughter indignantly. “Go upstairs right now. You have a party to get ready for and I don’t want you looking any more blemished and unrested than you already are.”

 

  
All Veronica can see is red. She’s sick of her mother’s mocking ways, sick of ever believing that she would ever have a choice or a voice. She keeps her cool though, doesn’t scream or cry or pout because that would lead to stress and wrinkles and ugly skin. She releases a breath through her nose, teeth grinding in the quiet living room and is completely aware of what she’s doing as her long fingers reach for the crystal flower vase in the middle of their living room table and gripping it almost painfully before hurling it on the marble floor in front of her.

  
She doesn’t flinch at the sound of her mother’s horrified gasp as the vase shatters into a thousand shards of glittery crystal on the floor, but she does feel release.

  
“You’re right, I should get going.” Veronica slowly smooths down her impeccable long curls, stepping over the disarrayed pile of crystal on the floor in her heels. “I’ll see you at the party, have a good evening mother.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
“Get me another drink, Jones” Veronica orders, snapping her fingers together impatiently. “These waiters are like zombies with their service.”

  
Jughead Jones rolls his stormy blue eyes at Veronica’s usual, controlling behaviour, but gets up and calls the waiter for another flute of champagne anyways. They’re at The Lodge’s homecoming party, to celebrate 65 years of Lodge Industries and the company raising another building to the grounds of New York City that’s apparently going to be insanely profitable, or in Veronica’s casual way of putting it, a ‘cash cow’, as some thriving business’ new headquarters; as well as the prodigal family’s return to their home in the Upper East Side. Everyone Veronica grew up with is here tonight, dressed in glitter and designer outfits as they arrive at the Plaza’s reception coming in from the pattering rain outside. Everyone outside skirts around them like they’re movie stars, and the party is lively in all it’s endless chatter, but that’s mostly the adults.

  
The four teenagers, who have been to more of these parties than they can remember, are sitting together on a couch in the middle of the venue; bodies leaning against one another and exchanging words every now and then between looking at their phones. Veronica is exceptionally bored. This is the part of New York that she hated. All these same, boring faces, and their parents putting up fronts, everything feels so rehearsed and done a million times and she just wishes she could be somewhere else in the world. She and Betty had gone shopping all afternoon and took all evening to get ready at her mother’s atelier, and now in her silk red dress and heavy pearls around her neck she just feels bored.

  
“Veronica, is anything ever perfect enough for you?” He shoots her a look, while Veronica throws the champagne down her throat and settles her head back against Archie’s chest. Her torso is leaning against his, their hands intertwined on one side. Betty is next to them, stretching her long legs in the aqua coloured dress she wore tonight across the rest of the couch and also Jughead’s lap.

  
“On the contrary” she turns to look at her friends. “Everything in my life is perfect.” _Too perfect_ , she thinks grimly.

  
“Too perfect” Betty huffs. She shrugs out of the baby blue leather jacket her mother had insisted on wearing, revealing the very scandalous neckline on her dress and throws it on the table in front of them. Veronica pretends to ignore the way Jughead’s eyes skim down her body, at the same time that she fights the urge to see if Archie is looking at her best friend. But he only moves in closer to Veronica and wraps his arms around her torso from behind.

  
“You think the first day of school is going to be any better than this?” Veronica wonders in a soft voice, her lips ghosting on the sharp of Archie’s jaw.

  
Archie tilts his head toward her so that their lips are almost touching, and because even sitting down, she’s shorter than him; she’s looking up at him through thick sooty lashes and he feels like _he’s_ the one who’s just come home. “Don’t stress about it yet, the day hasn’t even come.”

  
“ _Yeah_ , but this year we’ll be seniors and I have a cheer squad to run when I haven’t been cheering for a whole year. Plus it’s our last year and I want it to be amazing.”

  
“You’re right” Archie agrees, smiling faithfully at her. “And it will be- nothing could ruin it.”

  
The loud clicking of stilettos makes them all look around, getting louder and louder, until they finally stop. They aren’t at all surprised to see who it is rocking the new pair of Christian Louboutin heels in an on-brand, striking red colour. Following up her long legs, there’s Cheryl Blossom. The Blossom’s twin daughter who’s also set to inherit her grandmother’s entire inheritance as soon as she turns eighteen, and Veronica being in close confidence knows that it’s at least a twelve digit sum.

 

  
“ _Veronica Lodge_ ” the fiery haired damsel drawls. “Finally, you’re back. Spence hasn’t been the same without you. Or shall I say; New York.”

 

  
“Kept the kids traumatised while I was away, Cheryl?” Veronica smirks in amusement.

 

  
“Oh I think we still need you for that” Cheryl replies, faux patronisingly.

 

  
“And what did you guys do while I was away, play Two Truths and A Lie?”

 

 

The rest of them roll their eyes, but Cheryl looks pleased nonetheless. “No, Veronica. We aren’t in sixth grade. Speaking of which, I’m giving out the invitations for my big _Blossom’s 18th Bash_ early this year so you imbeciles will have time to find good presents, and good outfits.” She produces, quite proudly, ashy coloured envelopes with personally embossed names on each invite and passes one to Jughead and Archie. “And of course; for my best girls Veronica and Betty.”

 

“Actually it’s Betty and Veronica” The blonde sits up and snatches their invite out of Cheryl’s hand before Veronica can reach for it. The rain outside has begun to leave off now, and this large glass edifice is starting to feel crowded and stuffy.

  
Veronica gives Cheryl a tight smile in thanks. She knows that turning eighteen also means that Cheryl will be getting the coveted Blossom family ring, it’s what she’s been dreaming about since they were freshmen in high school and the three girls would have sleepovers every night; splashing in Veronica’s hot tub at midnight and dancing on her bed until they passed out. Jason will get a very important fire arm that used to mean something in their family heritage, not nearly as fun; but what the two gifts really signify is both twins receiving equal shares of the Blossom empire to their name. Even though The Lodges have a far bigger net worth, The Blossoms come from excellent lineage of very old money and with them, everything involves tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

  
                 x:x:x:x

  
              _Summer 2018_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
“Good morning Cooper!” Reggie Mantle grins brightly. He’s just turned the corner of 72nd and is greeted by the sight of wavy blonde hair and a miserable scowl, in the form of one of his longest friends. Summer in New York feels like school cancelled on a white winter morning. They’re sweating a little but it’s breezy, rocking designer flip flops and barely buttoned shirts.

  
“No it isn’t” she tells him plainly.

  
Reggie shrugs. “Does it have anything to do with the fact that you’re not slinking around with Andrews today?”

  
Betty feels bored and empty. She takes one look at Reggie, on the sidewalk she knows like the back of her hand because they’ve walked up and down it countless times in their whole life, and sighs. She takes his hand and he loops it over her shoulders, their footsteps starting in synchronisation to whichever next location they wish. Their eyes don’t meet but his are looking ahead and hers are downcast, in silence while Reggie waits for her to spill whatever it is she needs to like he knows she does.

  
“What’s going on?” He murmurs after too long.

 

“Archie’s in Paris to visit Veronica.” She blurts out painfully, annoyance swimming in her brilliant green eyes. “Eight days to be her date to the gala. What- doesn’t it bother you?”

  
Her demanding question falls on deaf ears for a moment as Reggie doesn’t even meet her gaze, hiding how he feels. He’s every bit as dejected as she is, and they know it through countless nights of venting over ice cream in his private theatre and sharp glances at each other on double dates with the darling couple. Archie and Veronica really wanted to do a double date but none of their friends are going out together, so Veronica had Betty endure the company of them together for few and far nights in between. It ended up working though, in some twisted backwards way, her and Reggie had found their connection in their mutual _want_ for something that isn’t theirs to have.

 

“Of course it does” he says. He removes his arm from her shoulders and rubs the back of his neck, which she thinks is every male’s way of stalling time to answer a question. He hails a cab for the two of them and they take it to Central Park. They decide not to dwell on it and they go shopping, Betty is grateful because it takes her mind off this loneliness but she doesn’t ignore when Reggie becomes gradually more quiet throughout their shopping trip. Sitting on the edge of two benches, shopping bags left unattended behind them Betty looks out into the sea of people and then back at him, still all quiet.

 

“We should break them up.” Betty whispers. Like she’s terrified of it herself. “You love her. I know you do”

  
“It’s not that easy” he sighs mostly to himself.

  
“Nothing’s ever easy. Especially not love” She says dismissively, fingers playing with the hem on her ruffled skirt.

  
“I guess me and you on a mission to do something bad can be arranged” he chuckles a little, as Betty laughs and tells him they’re ridiculous to even be thinking about this, and the guilt that’s been nipping at her all summer has started to eat her whole.

  
She winks briefly at him, realising that until now they’ve only been focused on their jealousy without realising the power they might have if they work together. “Well..” She taps her chin thoughtfully, leaning closer to Reggie. “ _Challenge accepted._ ”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
                    x:x:x:x

  
                  _present day_

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Betty chews on the edge of her straw at the memory. Midway through the party and she’s had more than enough of it. Hal and Alice Cooper are _suspiciously_ thrilled about The Lodges being back in town, and Betty tries not to think that it has something to do with her father getting into finance, but they’re laughing and having a whale of time- never letting Hiram and Hermione Lodge out of their sight all night long. And there’s only so much a multi billion dollar making businessman like Hiram Lodge can be proud of in the span of three hours, so they’ve summoned their only daughter to show her off instead. Looking through the crowd she leaves the bar and works her way past the cluster of smartly dressed associates and to the empty couch she and her four friends were occupying earlier. With a sigh she sits down, pulling her legs up and hugging her knees- not caring for the wrinkles in her dress. For a moment she lets her hair fall forward until it obscures everything for a momentary darkness.

  
“You really hate this party, then?” It’s Archie, standing in front of her with a glass of champagne in one hand and Veronica’s velvet purse he’s holding onto for her while she mingles with the others.

  
Betty shakes her head. “It’s not that” She remembers what she was thinking about earlier and smiles “You don’t seem to be enjoying it much more than I am, though”

  
Archie looks guilty for not denying it. “The party’s alright” He hesitates. “It’s the people in it.”

  
She widens her eyes at him. “Bravo. That’s the most constructive thing I’ve heard you say about our parents. Too bad we’ll never be free of them.”

  
“You seem sad” Archie drops on the bench next to her and tips the liquid in his glass around, belatedly holding it out to her. “Need a drink?”

  
“Thanks” she says, talking the flute and finishing the rest of it. “And I’m fine- just a little over this place” she tries to smile.

  
He takes a moment to observe their surroundings, all the people and lights and the food and alcohol that probably costs more than any charity they’ve donated to, gorging themselves of worldly decadence to the point that of absolute ridicule. They can hear that the band is changing their song to a classical twist of one of their modern pop tunes, and it cheers them up a bit.

  
“Please tell me you have something better planned for your birthday party?” She asks finally.

  
Archie shrugs. “I hardly know. Veronica planned a trip to somewhere private and packed my bags for me, she won’t tell me anything except that I’ll love it.”

  
Betty laughs, shaking her head, but can’t resist saying, “Veronica’s a bossy genius with a knack for party planning, that’s for sure.”

  
Archie’s eyes crinkle up and his smile deepens thinking of his raven haired angel, the way she never does anything without a purpose, always three steps ahead of all of them, and somehow manages to come up with all the perfect witty responses and snidely horrible comments that make his life all the more colourful. In every way, she keeps surprising him, and Archie thinks that might be the reason why he’s still in awe of her every move. “Oh yeah, she definitely is.”

  
Betty folds her arms across her chest and stares unseeingly out the big glass window, hiding her face from him as her smile slowly drops, focusing fiercely on every single car that speeds past them in the rainy city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
                    x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
On the rooftop upstairs, the wind is biting, and there’s a small roof that shields Jughead Jones from the rain that’s pouring above. It’s so dark up here, he loves it. But the noise is still evident in the big loud city and as he places another paper dose of about 300ug under his tongue, he hopes it’ll quiet everything down. He holds the paper there until it dissolves, a good six minutes more or less- and like clockwork his head falls back on the concrete and there’s rainbow like halos surrounding the ceiling, the top of other sky scraping buildings, everything in his sight.

  
He feels like he’s going to explode staying in that party any longer, watching Veronica pretend she isn’t an over-bored, insecure girl with her parents, Archie is looking stupid and blind again, same as Reggie and Cheryl and everyone else. He sees Elizabeth moping in her corner of the room, probably day dreaming another scenario just like he is. Jughead Jones may not be a part of this world, not _really_ , his father is Hiram Lodge’s high esteemed body guard and has been for decades. And because of that, he does more observing than participating. He got a free taste of the elitist world, but Jughead isn’t blind like the rest. He knows how dirty this world is.

  
Unlike their little group of friends, stupid and in danger, Jughead wonders just how long it’ll be until one of them explodes from the perfect seams and snaps. And kills. He wonders just how long it’ll take. Who it’ll be. How low they’ll go.

  
But he thinks a lot of things when he’s high.

 

Stumbling incoherently down the stairwell of the Plaza, Jughead feels like he’s losing his eyesight soon. There’s black flashes every few seconds and he’s almost sure he bangs into a wall more times than he could count. _Just need to find a room to lay._ His hand pushes blindly at any of the countless doors to find a way in, and is overtaken with relief when one falls open and he allows himself to crash in.

 

  
Not hearing the initial shriek and gasp- that of a woman, but then he’s kicked up off the ground and is looking with wide horrified eyes at a scene he clearly shouldn’t have walked in on.

 

  
“I’m- I’m sorr-“

 

 

“Get out! What the hell are you doing just _standing_ there!” The girl screams. He knows clearly who it is now. Jughead bolts out of the room as soon as he sees, a sudden found surge of sobriety, as she clutches the sheets to her chest and the red headed, seemingly blushing male partner of hers is fumbling to get into his clothes.

 

  
Jughead makes it two feet down the hall before his knees just collapse on the effect of the drug and he feels wiped out. He sees the silhouette of blonde hair and a tall feminine figure walking towards him, head held high for someone who was just caught in a compromising position.

 

  
“Jughead. I’m- okay, firstly, are you _alright_?” Polly is sitting on her bent knees, as poised and beautiful as her little sister but only half as put together. She touches his cold face with one finger like she’s prodding at something vile. “You look like the tuna sandwich I had for lunch.”

 

  
“I feel like one too” He sighs, exhaustedly. Polly is already rummaging his penguin suit pocket for the remnants and her face freezes.

 

  
“What the hell is wrong with you freak” She stands up. “Go do drugs in your own home and don’t barge into _my_ room.”

  
“Hey last time I checked this wasn’t your house- your parents just own it” Jughead calls, mustering up his thought process to put together a string of words. “Besides.. why are you fraternising with your parents’ enemies”

 

  
Polly looks at him like he’s a slobbering dog, and rolls her eyes very un good-girl-like. “Are you threatening me?”

 

  
“Threaten?” He pants, a faint wicked smile seeing one of UES’s powerful untainted girls pale with fear. “No. But we could.. what do they call that? Avoiding mutual annihilation?”

 

  
“Stop being coy and just tell me what you want.” She spits.

 

Jughead stares blankly at the faceless painting of a man in a chaotic world moving around him hanging on the wall in front of them. He doesn’t really need to think. But it adds to the suspense, he decides. “Betty.”

 

  
“ _What?_ ”

 

  
“I want to be more than just something she looks at with pity, or a replacement when she’s bored or sad.” Jughead knows he’s rambling and none of this would’ve ever been uttered had he not been completely high off his own face, but the dial of denial slowly fades when he sees Polly’s expression calculating. “And I won’t tell anyone you and Jason Blossom are dancing the devil’s tango..”

  
“ _Shut up Jones!_ ” And it’s the last time he underestimates her, because she hits him down hard with a pain that he would remember. “Fine. Here’s what. I’ll get you invited to Betty’s exclusive trip to Ilbiza, she hasn’t even told our parents. There’s only two other people going as far as I know and they’re a couple. So don’t blow your shot, and will you shut your mouth?”

 

Jughead’s eyebrows travel to his mop of curly hair, impressed and tired. “Will do. Will... do..” he doesn’t see the rebelling good girl for another second as she disappears back down the hall to her room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
                      x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
“Hey babe” Veronica places her soft hand on Archie’s shoulder and he turns around, nodding a goodbye to some men he was speaking to. “I’m sick of my parents’ antics. Let’s leave this place”

  
“What, now?” Archie asks as he looks around the still early and busy atmosphere. They can’t just disappear.

  
“Why not?” She shrugs

  
“And go where?”

  
“There’s no one at the penthouse” She slowly replies, without even tempting to hide the delight in her proposition.

  
Veronica takes one last look at the gallery of shrewd people, trying to draw from some of the anger she felt with her mother this afternoon. With a wicked look, their eyes lock on each other and Veronica reaches for his hand, holding it tight as they start running through the room and heading for the exit.

  
When she pushes the door of The Plaza open, feeling the rush of cold, windy midnight air, she’s nearly lost her breath. Archie immediately calls for their driver at the entrance and pulls her with him in the back of the car, still laughing. His hair is tousled from the running and he looks thrilled, all Italian wool in his three thousand dollar suit. His brown eyes drink her in and she shivers when she sees the smile form on his face.

  
Veronica untangles herself from Archie when the short distance between The Plaza and The Pembrooke is finished, hoping to escape without Andre asking any questions.

 

  
“Miss Veronica!” _fuck you,_ she thinks. “What should I tell your parents? They will be asking for you”

 

  
She and Archie stop walking and for a moment he thinks she’s going to go back, but Veronica turns around to face the tall driver and personal security guard with a brazen face. “Good. Tell them I said go to hell”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
When the couple finally makes it to her bedroom, Archie immediately plops down on the bed. Veronica follows his lead and lays on her elbows opposite him, silk red dress surrounding her like something magical.

  
“Let’s order some real food”

  
Veronica chuckles. She checks the time on her iPhone. “Archiekins, it’s midnight”

  
Archie just shrugs. “So? We can have whatever we want whenever we want”

  
Veronica doesn’t move or say anything, and for the moment Archie just traces his fingers up the length of her leg exposed by the dress, while she watches him. She almost sighs in content. While she loves being with the girls, she prefers the moments with just her and Archie over anything in the world.

  
She looks up and barely catches the tail end of what he’s saying. “Sorry, what?”

  
“Have you gotten your schedule yet?”

  
Veronica shakes her head. “I’ll get it on the first day. My dad is trying to make me leave early so I can get an early orientation at Yale. He’s ridiculous, as if I wouldn’t want to graduate with all my friends.”

  
“It’s because you’re brilliant and he knows it.”

  
That’s true, Veronica may have a creative mind but she got her father’s Ivy League worth academic brilliance as well. “I don’t even want to go to fucking Yale. When will he see that”

  
“You’re always saying that babe, but you know he’ll get his way at the end.”

  
“It’s true” she sighs. “But you know I’ll always have time for fun anyway.”

  
Archie smiles at her mischievous antics, but sees a text on his phone and is brought back to reality coldly. “I have to get going soon”

  
“What? You just got here.”

  
He checks the time again. “I have to be at the tennis court with my step dad in like nine hours with one of his new clients for some match, so I need to sleep.”

  
“So sleep here then” she tells him obviously.

  
“We both know that if I sleep here, we won’t sleep” Archie chuckles, although he isn’t opposed to the idea.

  
Veronica gets on her knees and scoots on the bed until she’s close enough to Archie, and wraps her arms around his neck lovingly. “Fine. But you better win that damn match”

  
“Actually.. I won’t” Archie stops to kiss Veronica’s forehead because he can’t resist. “My step dad wants us to lose so the client will be happy and hopefully join him in whatever they’re working on.”

  
Just as she’s leaning into his soft peppering kisses, Veronica pulls back. “What? Well that’s fucking pathetic.”

  
“Y-yes. But my step dad already told me the plan and it’s just one game..”

  
“Why do you even call him that? He’s not actually married to your mom” her tone is bordering annoyed now and Archie feels a rise of anxious nerves in his chest at where this is going. Veronica annoyed can lead to Veronica angry. “Screw that. Stay here with me and blow off your mom’s crazy boyfriend.”

  
“Hey.. how about you get some rest okay?” Archie tries to reason with her. “You must be tired too. It could be good for both of us.”

  
Veronica’s hands stop caressing the back of his neck, and her eyebrow twitches like he has no idea what he’s saying. “So you’d rather spend time with him than me? Is that it?”

  
“No!” He says quickly, reaching for her arms and trying to calm her down but she’s gone cold. “I want to spend time with you. I wish I could stay here, but..”

 

“Whatever. Just leave.” Veronica pushed him away, kicking her legs out underneath her and flopping down on her bed.

  
But she’s startled to pieces when Archie pulls on her foot firmly, pulling her down to the edge of the bed so their bodies are nearly colliding, his hovering over hers. Even all angry she looks lost at his mercy.

  
“What the Hell did you do that for?” She looks up at him, fuming in frustration of not being in control anymore.

  
He moves even closer towards her, nudging his nose against hers. “You said you wanted me here so I’m staying, will you stop bitching now?”

  
Instantly, his words sting like a cut to the sting, carving away at her heart as usually he never talks back to her. “Did you just call me a bitch, asshole?”

  
“ _Fuck_ , stop talking Veronica”

  
In their black fury, Archie flies forward and crashes their lips together. Her lips bit back hard in response, hands tugging at clothes and limbs and body feeling like a hurricane raging with life. Archie closes his eyes and focuses on tasting her, the tenacity inspiring, and he knows she was never built to back down.

  
Her hands fly up to cross around his neck again and he lifts her quickly, shoving her body against the wall next to her bed. Her legs wrap around his waist and they begin to roll together, wasting no time feeling the heat of her center grind against the hard erection in his pants.

  
His tongue finds it’s way into her mouth and they dance together, exchanging hard moans as they move with each other. One of her hands slip from his neck to the inside of his suit jacket, and pushes it off, her nails skimming the surface of his pecs teasingly. The movement earns her a firm press of his groin against hers, and a weak whimper falls from her lips.

  
“Maybe I _should_ leave now” Archie’s mouth sinks down to her neck, and she can feel his lips smiling against her skin. “You seem worked up enough for the both of us.”

  
“Stay” she whispers, her voice throaty and thick. “Stay, and you can do whatever you want to me. _Anything at all._ ”

  
“Anything?” He asks her, tone playful.

  
Her hands slide down his chest as her reply, this time grabbing hold of the hem, wanting to yank it apart with all the buttons flying. But Veronica feels a little hungry for something else, and she skims her hand across his abs lower to trail them up the top of his thigh to find his length, already hard.

  
“It’ll be so much fun”

  
Archie closes his eyes as he feels her begin to palm him, the lust already clouding all his thoughts, making everything loose and slippery. Veronica’s smile is mischievous as she starts to grip him harder, but when her movements begin to quicken Archie has to reach out and halt her wrists.

 

He closes his eyes and almost chokes out, “Not now, babe. I want to come inside you first.”

 

  
Veronica stops all her movements and just gives him a look, but she can’t help the moan that escapes her lips, not caring about control or perfection at all in that moment. Archie looks like he’s beginning to feel the same way, their mixed breaths panting heavily.

 

  
“Now get this fucking dress off right now” He watches as she bites her bottom lip and falls back on the pillows again, this time exposing the lower bottom of her body, the top still covered by the bunched up red silk of her dress. In anticipation, Veronica holds her breath as Archie kisses up her legs until his body is hovering over hers- and he yanked, ripping the brand new dress apart, expensive fabric feeling like nothing underneath his fingers.

 

She moans out, relishing in his rough and ready attitude. She watches as his eyes darken even more, frozen on her exposed breasts as if it were the first time he’s seen them, realising she hadn’t worn a bra the entire night underneath her dress.

  
“Well I wasn’t expecting that” he mumbles, fingers brushing against her dark mauve nipples and making her entire body shiver mercilessly.

  
“The dress wouldn’t allow it, Archiekins” She traces the bottom of her lips with her tongue, wanting to move but his weight on her is pinning her in place.

  
His hands trail down her front, knowing full well that she can’t take it anymore, but he traces over one breast before coming down over her navel, and his fingers slide inside her eliciting a wild moan.

  
“Archie- Fuck me. God, please just fuck me now.” And as it’s beneath Veronica Lodge to beg for _anything_ , his touch brings out the uninhibited side of her, and suddenly she doesn’t care if she was to whine or cry or yell to get him to fuck her rough and hard right there.

  
His hand slides out and shoves her slightly arching body down with force, holding her down. He braces himself up above her with his palms, the hard muscles of his biceps flexing as he tenses, his cock tipping down to brush her entrance.

  
“I thought you like to be in control, Veronica” he teases her, eyes growing wild and predatory.

  
“Not now” she whimpers

 

  
“You’re all mine, aren’t you?”

 

  
“Yes.. fuck Archie, yes.”

 

  
“Tell me who you belong to.”

 

  
She sends him a lethal look, nearly blowing up inside as he continues to tease her, like a sink overflowing, and she just can’t take it anymore.

 

  
“You, motherfucker! I’m yours.” She shouts out into the quiet room around them, filling him with madness and thrill as he readjusts himself at her entrance and shoves all the way inside.

  
She’s gripping him so hard that the suction is mind blowing, and Archie thinks he’s about to go crazy. “You’re fucking amazing, Veronica.”

  
Veronica can’t even describe the pleasure that’s coursing through her veins at that point, but the stretch of his length inside her is burning through the fast thrusts. Her hands come up to cup his face gently, but he quickly shoves them down beside her, lacing their fingers together above her head.

  
Thrust after every slick thrust, and the sound of her whimpering moans filling the air, he uses one hand to hold her jaw in place so that her eyes never leave his. They’ve had rough sex before, most of the time in fact, but that night felt like something different. There’s something special about her smudged wine red lips and her perfect body, perhaps the feeling of their reunion that made it all the more powerful.

  
“Shit” she whimpers, feeling the familiar tingling of climax climbing up from her toes, but just as she’s pushed over the edge Archie keeps thrusting into her, and changes up the tempo by rolling over so that she’s on top of him.

  
Her impossibly dark hair falls around her bare shoulders at the same time that her head feels dizzy, the tips of long curls tickling the bare skin of his chest. She falls forward from pleasure and exhaustion but catches his lips in a kiss, her hips starting to grind and ride him even faster.

  
Her arches his hips up to meet her, and Veronica pulls back to watch him; face completely torn in pleasure. He makes a noise that’s guttural, and they’re making so much noise but she doesn’t care. She uses one hand to hold his face, thumb circling up to his lips and biting her own as he puts the digit in his mouth and bites down.

  
“Fuck me harder, baby. Faster” he mutters to her, her thumb still in his mouth, watching as she topples over her second orgasm. He can feel her walls clench around him and it’s one of the most euphoric feelings he’s ever felt.

  
“Fuck!” She shouts, one hand flying up to cup her breast and squeeze. Archie gulps, his mouth turning incredibly dry. He can feel his own orgasm nearing, but he needs to have more of her, his craving for her never satisfied.

  
He sits up, gripping a handful of her black hair and wrapping it around tightly. He watches her eyes roll into the back of her head and pulls on her hair hard, causing her back to arch backwards, practically presenting his breasts to him- and this final clench has him over the edge.

  
Archie grips her hip roughly with one hand and bites down into the exposed skin of her neck before thrusting into her one more time, his mouth flying free from her bruising skin as he calls out her name, spilling himself deep inside her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Veronica opens her eyes there’s a twinkling hue to the sunshine flooding in through her big windows, the curtains still wide open from yesterday morning. She can feel Archie’s body wrapped around hers, how they had fallen asleep in a cuddle last night. His hair is an unruly mess on her pillow, but he looks gorgeous.

  
Glancing around, she suddenly feels oddly exposed- the two of them having been too worn out after their activities last night to even get under the covers, and pieces of her red dress is falling off the foot of the bed while the rest of it probably pools on her floor. The door is wide open too, and Veronica decides to lift Archie’s heavy arm off her chest to close it in the off chance that her parents decide to check on her. They have to be home, and would be livid after her bailing halfway through the party last night- the fact that they haven’t yet walked in and murdered her is beyond her.

  
Archie has some kind of death grip on her though, and when she tries to wiggle out of it she only succeeds in feeling the firm tip of his erection pressing into her back.

  
“Stop moving” Archie mumbles, clearly more asleep than awake.

  
“Ew, you’re so gross!” She tries to push him off, starting to giggle hysterically.

  
“You won’t complaining last night” He states before grabbing her body and pulling it on top of his,

  
Veronica quickly changed her course, spreading her knees further apart on either side of him and leaning above him. Her naked body is shimmering in the sunlight and Archie can tell she’s wet, but her eyes are sharp and challenging and still in control. “Your entire neck is purple.”

  
“So is yours. It’s worse.” He eyes her up and down, the never ending trail of bruises making him reimagine some of the things that went down last night. “And I have to meet my mom soon...” he continues mumbling. “Shit..”

  
“ _Hey_ ” She uses her fingers to bring his chin up, making him look her deep in the eyes. “We can cover it. Fuck what other people think.”

  
The way her deep brown eyes look into his, and how she’s smiling very pleased with herself makes his own eyes twinkle and then he knows just how deep his heart is into this.

  
He leans in and plants kisses along the neck of her already bruised neck, trailing his tongue on the space between her neck and her shoulder that he knows makes her all tingly and melt inside. They move together on top of the messy sheets, grinding lazily while he kneads the plump flesh of her ass and Veronica throws her head back in bliss.

  
Archie lifts her all the way up before sliding her back down swiftly, listening to the same sound that escapes her lips every time- getting louder, clearer, more hypnotising every second.

  
As things escalate she’s almost as loud as last night, and Archie only belatedly half remembers where they are (where her _parents_ are downstairs with her bedroom door wide open) and he decides to use the same trick she did from last night except places his hand over her mouth firmly.

  
Veronica is panting and starts to bite down on his hand, but the longer it went on the less it hurt and all he can focus on is the pleasure overcoming it all. Her final moan is muffled by his hand, but he sees her eyes rolling in the back of her head and her entire body convulsing and it’s enough to make him release himself with a stifled grunt.

  
She collapses on the bed next to him with a sigh, nuzzling closer into each other to try and shield themselves from the climbing morning chilliness.

  
“I’ve missed you so much” He sighs into her hair.

  
“So you just miss the sex?” She raises a quizzical brow, and the two of them look at each other in a dumbfounded state until she cracks a real smile. “Just kidding. I know what you mean.”

  
“Do you want to go to my step dad’s thing with me?” Archie starts to sit up, holding her hands in his and looking down at her meaningfully. Being with her like this all night suddenly makes him not want to leave her at all, not even for a second. He wants them to hold hands on the way there and to catch her eye while he’s miserably playing, her probably drinking some mimosa and reading one of her new books.

  
“What a silly thing to ask, Archiekins” She giggles and kisses him again. “Of course I want to, it’ll be better than facing my parents or anything of the sort. Speaking of, they are so going to kill us.”

  
“Oh well” Archie shrugs, now with a goofy grin on his adorably handsome face. “Fuck what everyone else thinks, right?”

  
“Right” she smirks happily at his attitude, and kept her hold on his arms tightly. “ _te amo por siempre, Archie Andrews._ ”

  
Feeling like he’s been rewarded with the most wonderful, loving girlfriend in the world- one whom he can’t believe just how lucky he is to have found, and how perfect they are for each other. He repeats one of the few Spanish phrases that Veronica has taught him before with starry eyes glossed in awe at her. “ _te amo por siempre.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time they make it to the country club together, Archie is late and he knows it. Spending too much time getting ready and getting _distracted_ in each other- and then trying to dodge and avoid her parents as best as possible certainly did not make for the best moment of punctuality. With the racket in his one hand and Veronica’s in the other, they walk onto the court and he can somehow feel a simmering sense of dread brewing deep in his stomach. Any of the careless attitude from this morning is long gone, although Veronica there with her sleek cat sunglasses perched on her nose and an adorable tennis outfit on does wonders to ease his heart.

 

Mary’s infamous boyfriend is coming out from the scene of waitresses and breakfast delicacies and men and women in their sports attire, and is heading towards them. The first thing Veronica notices is the same high and mighty air he carries with him, it’s been a while since she met Tom but now she can’t really tell if anything has changed other than the sleek new haircut, and he seems taller somehow.

  
“Archibald” he says his name like an assessment, not even sparing Veronica so much as a cold glance. “Why are you late?”

  
_fuck_. She can feel Archie’s hand squeeze over hers in a deadly grip, and it’s almost painful. In fact, it does hurt but not as much as seeing him tremble under the pressuring dark gaze of his mother’s boyfriend.

  
“Um.. um I- I was..”

  
“Hurry up kid!” He almost shouts, and Veronica doesn’t know what Archie is going to say but the quicker he gets out an excuse the faster this can be over with.

  
“I had other plans.” Archie tells him, trying his best to sound firm.

  
The previously cold man looks suddenly torn between a look of shock and anger, and both teenagers can tell that this isn’t going to go well but they look up at him with wide awaiting eyes. “Didn’t I tell you to be here on time? Was it really that hard to do what was asked of you? No..”

  
“Because you’re not his _father_ and he doesn’t have to listen to you.” Veronica steps forward. She’s shooting daggers in the eyes of her much taller, much bigger opponent but she doesn’t really care- not with Archie flinching next to her and frankly she’s over people who are supposed to love him treating him like their property.

  
There’s a long silence that is louder than anything either of them have heard, almost burning on the spot. Archie is glancing back and forth between both of them and he can feel something rising and rising in his throat, not sure if he’s going to make it out of the sheer fear that’s blinding in front of him. There’s another voice that’s coming though, one asking _what’s going on?_ as she approaches the scene to try and smooth things out.

 

“Archie!” He recognises his mother’s voice, softer and calmer but colder nonetheless.

  
“ _What_?” She places a hand on Archie’s shoulder, and he jumps.

  
“Archie honey come on.. let’s not make a scene here, Veronica too.. Tom can finish this match for now.” Mary’s feminine and all-too-rehearsed voice floats around them, beckoning both kids to follow her to one of the VIP rooms inside the club.

  
This certainly isn’t the way Veronica expected to meet her boyfriend’s mother for the first time since coming home, with a flush of red on her face and a thudding rage hiding behind it. She says her own half hearted greetings and flops down on the chair outside, Archie’s hand breaking away from hers painfully as he follows his mother in the room; and she has to bite on the inside of her mouth to not flinch when the door slams shut.

  
“Anything you have to say to me?” Mary’s voice is so quiet yet so full of malice. Archie sits on his hands on the seat opposite her and his lip is trembling nervously.

 

”I-I..” 

 

“For god’s sake Archie, you’re a senior in high school. How are you going to get into any _decent_  college if you can’t even string a proper sentence together?” 

 

  
“Only that I didn’t want to come to this match anyway, I don’t get why you make me do this just- just for him.” Archie sits up straighter, swallowing. 

 

He gets a look, one that’s exasperated and a little bit sad; and if Archie’s honest she looks even more tired than he himself. There’s more silence and then a creak. He can see his mother’s eyes looking anywhere but at him, like she’s trying desperately to hold something together.

 

“What is it?” Archie’s voice isn’t nearly as loud as before, but it still holds the same disdain with a hint of fear.

  
“Last night at dinner, Tom proposed to me.”

  
Now it’s his turn to be silent, but in utter dumbfounded awe, it’s like the silence before a storm. This was not at all what I expected..

  
“He what?” Archie’s tone is getting gradually more aggravated. “He what?”

  
“Archie please” Mary scolds.

  
“God mom- did you- and did you.. actually say yes?” He’s never felt so mad before, a mixture of panic and hate piling up inside him dangerously.

  
“Archibald!” She exclaims but it isn’t really doing anything. “Of course I did and I thought you would be happy for me!”

  
“God- do you even _remember_ dad?” He says back, his voice no longer full of anger but sadness. Something he’s long wondered is finally off his chest and now all he feels is hopeless.

 

“Don’t you dare question me Archie.” Mary stands up, her back straight and final and eyes as sharp as the stinging that’s bringing tears in his onyx eyes. “And I know.. I know that you’ve never gotten over the fact that your father..”

  
“Just say it mom!” Archie screams, the tears rolling off his cheeks endlessly. “He’s _dead!_ ”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
It feels like hours passing since Archie walked into the the door, and Veronica is going over everything that’s happened the last 24 hours with a calculated determination. _Had I been to harsh with Tom? Maybe I shouldn’t have asked him to sleep over.. but I just missed him, and he always tells me how much he hates being with his mother and her boyfriend.. I just wanted to make him feel better.. right?_

 

She gets up automatically when the door opens again, this time a very broken Archie barging out with his eyes only seeing red. “Can we just- can we get out of here?” Archie says abruptly, turning his head at her.

  
“Of course” Veronica nods and takes a deep breath. They sit together inside her new car, the champagne red mini Range Rover, silently for a while.

  
She knows fully that Archie isn’t ready to talk yet, so she drives for miles and ends up parking at one of the hideout spots almost outside of the city; it’s where many high school kids come to make out and hook up but of course she hadn’t planned on any of that. They pass numerous cars on the way up there, and as soon as she parks, Archie runs his hands through his hair frustratedly. He’s sitting still, she’s staring at him, while he looks ahead into the chaotic world ahead of them moving at a different kind of speed than they are; frozen in time.

 

“Babe?” Veronica reaches out and strokes his arm softly.

  
“I think my mom is going to forget about me” Archie almost whispers. “I know you think I sound pathetic, but every year that passes I feel like I see less of her, and when I do, it’s just-“

 

“I never think you’re pathetic” she shakes her head and reaches to turn his head facing her. “What happened earlier?”

 

“I just..” he shakes his head and reaches up for her hand that’s on his face, holding it in his. “As soon as I walked in, my mom started talking and I- I don’t even remember why we were arguing..”

  
“Because you were late to the match today?” Veronica provides.

  
Archie huffs, frustrated with himself and nodding at her. “Right. So then she told me that she and Tom are engaged” he continues. “And then shit really hit the fan.”

  
“I’m sorry” she shakes her head, not really sure what to say. “I shouldn’t have told you to sleepover.”

 

“It isn’t your fault” he laces their fingers together now and looks down limply. “Things have been worse in the past year. I don’t know how to make it better” he sighs and looks up into her eyes, exhausted. “I’m just so tired..”

  
“Let’s go back to the penthouse, my parents are out.” Veronica uses her other hand to card through the stray hairs at the top of his neck, and goes up slightly to play with his right ear comfortingly. “Hey, it can’t get worse than this right?”

  
“I hope so” he brings their intertwined hands to his lips and kisses hers, lips mumbling into it. “As long as I have you, I’ll be okay.”

  
He makes these sad wide eyes at her, and it’s these kind of moments that remind her with assurance that she’d do anything for him. Because hates seeing the unwavering hint of sadness in his eyes. Anything to make him happy, just like they both would for each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
                   x:x:x:x

  
              _22nd May, 2019_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Archie starts to feel claustrophobic in the tight atmosphere of the small detective’s room. The lights are too bright and the air too hot and thin. His skin prickles with sweat under his heavy knit sweater, hastily having changed out of his formal clothes from the party.

  
“Were you a friend of the victim’s?”

  
Archie isn’t sure how to answer honestly. “We grew up together.” He refrains from making eye contact with the detective, her gaze too questioning and all knowing that Archie wonders if she could read right through him.

 

           —————————

  
“From the information we’ve gathered, you’re one of the victim’s closest friends.”

 

Veronica drops her eyes. Veronica who used to dance around the living room with her, spinning in circles until they were shrieking and giggling as they fell. Veronica who looks slightly pale.

  
            —————————

“You might as well speak if you have anything to tell us right now” Inspector Robin says. “You’d be saving us a lot of time and hard work if you know something, anything at all.”

 

 _Oh yeah,_ Archie thinks. _I bet I would._

 

  
             —————————

 

 

 

“What do you think happened to her?” Reggie asks.

  
“We know she was shot. Either pushed into the river, or washed with the storm.”

  
“Do you know who did it?” His eyes are wide. “Was there are any people who..”

  
“There weren’t any witnesses, no.”

 

           —————————

  
Inspector Robin’s firm confirmation soothes a lump on Archie’s heart.

 

           —————————

  
“We need to figure out the whereabouts of the victim and who she was with in her final moments last night. There’s no blame here, no one is in trouble, but since she was murdered then it’s vital we collect every facet of information.”

 

  
Inspector Robin looks straight at Archie. “When did you last see the victim?”

  
             —————————

 

“At the party” are Veronica and Cheryl’s answers. “We were all at the party together. Veronica’s parents have it every year and to not be there would be socially embarrassing,” the red head adds.

 

 

  
             —————————

 

  
“Did you text or call her after you realised she was missing?” The inspector half smiles. “I know you’re all glued to your phones these days.” It looks disarming, but feels probing.

 

 

Jughead shakes his head. “No.”

 

            —————————

 

“Are you sure you did not see the victim after approximately eleven pm, two hours before she had died?”

  
More silent nods.

 

  
             —————————

 

 

“The storm was crazy. And we were all occupied and distracted at the party.” Veronica states without hesitation- the inspector then eyeing her more closely. “My parents were dragging me to meet everyone they know, like always.” She rolls her eyes, but other parts of her face look frozen. “And the two of us hadn’t even really met yet at the party.”

 

“So you didn’t speak to the victim at all?”

  
“No.”

 

  
             —————————

 

  
Archie, almost lost in his own daydream, snaps back when she repeats the question. “D-Don’t you have her phone?” He asks. “Can’t you tell who she was talking to?”

 

The inspector looks at him, evaluating. “If we did have it, it would’ve been water damaged. But we in fact don’t.” She pauses. “I take it you must have seen her, right? Her parents tell me you were her date and picked her up to go to the party.”

  
Archie nods his head. The inspector’s tone is light but Archie can feel himself cringing at the question, as he crushes his eyes shut and wonders for the life of him how just nine months ago, he was feeling the beginning to what he knows now is a very, very short and sharp end.

 

“I went to her house around eight. We showed up together but then my parents kept calling me, so she walked ahead. Ask them if you want- I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

 

 

  
            —————————

 

  
“So she was happy, as far as you know?”

 

All of them nod.

 

The truth is something else entirely. 

 

            —————————

 

“Does she have a boyfriend?”

  
“Nothing serious” Veronica says. “A lot of boys liked her but she never really invested in any of them.”

 

 

  
             —————————

 

 

“Does she sneak away from the people she’s with often?” She watches their expressions then, as if the other questions had merely been fluff to bring them down on this one. A pregnant pause follows as each of them consider how honest to be.

 

“I guess” Veronica answers. “Her parents are very suffocating. And she never liked to listen to them.” Right then when she says those words, it’s like a dam breaks and without even realising the first tear she’s shed for her falls down her skin. She quickly catches it with the back of her hand, as if she can’t cry, but right now all she can think about is that this is her _best friend_ and this is actually _real_. _She was my best friend_. She was.. “You want me to tell you how I remember her? She was always happy. She rarely ever cried, she never even sulked. She was perfect and unbreakable and I will always-“ her voice breaks up as she just cannot control her whimper then, suddenly so loud in the insanely silent room and her face scrunches up as her entire body burns up and coils. “I’ll always remember her- as the girl who would dance like no one cared. The kind of girl that you saw in passing.. and you immediately wanted to get to know. The kind of girl who’s smile could make you want to see every day.” Her breath is short, and there’s nothing in her eyes but tears that flood over helplessly. “You wanted to love her. And- she hates chocolate chip or anything that melts in your mouth, she only likes white wine... and she doesn’t like to cheer outside because the ground is muddy. and Betty’s favourite song was _Forever Young.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. second things second

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey :) thank you sm to all who read chapter 1, here’s the second part! Please enjoy it, and sorry it’s late ❤️ This chapter focuses more on Betty’s POV, and I also wanted for you all to see the somewhat brighter part of their lives, because it doesn’t last. 
> 
> and now...

 

 

 

_\- shut your mouth, baby stand and deliver_

_holy hands oh they make me a sinner_

_choke this love till the veins start to shiver_

_one last breath till the tears start to wither_

_like a river, like a river_

_shut your mouth and r_ un me like a river -

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Summer of 2018_

 

 

 

 

  
There’s a big yellow butterfly on one of the flourishing rose bushes in the brand new rooftop garden Mrs Cooper had designed and just recently finished being installed. Betty rushes towards it, using her pastel blue polaroid to snap a picture before it flies away. As the flash fades and a breeze passes her skin and golden hair, she sighs.

  
“I love summer.” With a little smile to herself, she turns sharply to her left where Archie is still engrossed in whatever it is on his phone. “Earth to Archie Andrews.”

  
He’s blinking erratically then, the flash of her polaroid going off again- this time just mere inches away from his face; effectively making him put his phone down. “Woah, okay. Sorry, that was Veronica.”

  
“You know, I was wondering what we should do for our birthday this year? We’re turning 18 and- Veronica’s parties are always _incredible_ , I have no idea how I could top that” Betty sits down on the ledge, right next to Archie. They’ve gotten bored of swimming in her pool and decide to hang out up here instead, comic books and their half finished bottle of sunscreen on the table along with her laptop. They’re taking turns to play songs off Spotify and Betty just pretends that Archie’s music taste doesn’t annoy her.

  
“Maybe you don’t have to. What if you did something different, I don’t know- just private? It could be nice to not get sick after your own birthday from partying too hard for once.” he starts to laugh, eyes crinkling at the edges the same way they always do when something is delightful.

  
“Damn” Betty chuckles. “I do hate that part. You have a point.”

  
He places his phone down on the edge of a marble flower pot and just stares, the scenic view of New York City in the evening. There’s a lot of people in the city but none of them are where they are. At the top, secure, and untouchable. “She’s coming back in two weeks.”

 

His last sentence leaves her head hanging, not really sure to burst into excitement or not. She looks down at her legs in the short white denim skirt, fraying the edges and then finally offering a smile at him. “Two weeks are gonna fly by before we know it.”

  
“They are” He breathes. She isn’t sure if he’s sighing or she’s being ridiculous but after pretending like this summer could last forever for long enough; Betty guesses a part of her has gotten numb to the feeling. And she watches him as he points towards the bright blue sky above. “Look, the sun is setting.”

  
Betty looks up. From where they were, they had the perfect view; as always. All pinks and golds and filtering colours. The sun looks close enough that she feels she could run and touch it, bleeding down in sparkling colours that were like a tragically beautiful masterpiece. _Gorgeous_. She looks for her polaroid to take a picture but sees that Archie is staring at her, the even brighter than usual red of his hair all blowing in the wind, messy in a way hers has to be too.

  
“What?”

  
“You have an eyelash on your cheek.” Her breath slows as Archie reaches over and his finger lightly brushes her cheekbone, pulling the long pale eyelash off of it. She can feel her cheeks heating up ridiculously with how close he is, as if they’ve never been this close before, but she closes her eyes and curses her fair complexion for giving away her nerves so easily.

  
He undoes her fingers that are holding the camera now, taking it from her. “I’ll take one of you. The lighting’s good.”

 

“No.” She wonders, “do selfies work with these things?”

  
Archie merely shrugs, the same impression in his eyes since they were little kids. “I don’t know.”

  
“Let’s try it.” She holds her arm out with the camera facing them, their sun kissed faces and simpering sweet smiles, sitting on the edge of the building with all of the city and the beautiful sunset just behind them. They take one and it doesn’t look the best, it’s kind of dark and out of focus because her arm shook and they look goofy to say the least. Archie laughs at it, and the way Betty tells him _this sucks_ but she sticks it in one of the comics. That she’ll open later and put it on her dresser, _Betty &Arch. Summer ‘18 _\- she writes with a golden Sharpie. And them, in much smaller script she flips it over and writes _to many more endless summers_. She sticks it on her dresser mirror where all the other polaroids of this summer are and forgets about it, and it never occurs to her that that the simple saying on the back will never be visited again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      _present day_

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Veronica agrees to meet up with Betty before seven so they can do each other’s hair and have breakfast before the first day of school, letting Betty drive them in her car this time. It feels oddly uncomfortable, almost like she isn’t from here and hasn’t gone to school in this city all her life. Paris Veronica would’ve open her windows and let the lyrical music in and the sound of the river as she dressed in their soft pinafores, NYC Veronica is blasting the Top 100 and getting frustrated that she keeps messing up Betty’s winged eyeliner. Paris Veronica would go to the little coffee shop and her friends used to kiss their red lipstick on the small brown cups; NYC Veronica thinks mimosas and chocolate covered bagels in the seat next to Betty. They always drove to school together. Before they could drive, Andre would pick up Betty at the Cooper’s and the little girls would giggle every time he called her “Miss Cooper”.

 

But that’s one thing that still feels the same. Constant. Her and Betty, side by side. Next to each other in the car with eyes drinking in the world. The two of them, always the same but different. Same uniforms, Betty with the heart shaped locket from her mother and Veronica’s thick pearl chocker. Veronica remembers the time when they were eleven and Betty cried for hours at the salon when Veronica refused for the two of them to get bangs. She just couldn’t have it. Now, Veronica always has her long hair impeccably curled while Betty mostly leaves hers as it is or throws it up in a ponytail. Them deciding wether or not to bother with heels on the first day is normal to her. And right now, watching the students clamber in from the front seats of the Lexus feels closest to normal.

  
“So I’m inviting Jughead with us to Ibiza. Just thought you should know.” Betty states very matter of factly, though not facing Veronica’s eyes.

  
“ _What?_ Why would you do that?”

  
Betty rolls her eyes in annoyance. “Because my sister lost some bet, and because she’s so immature, I have to pay for it. But he’s our friend after all, so don’t get all crazy.”

  
“ _Friend?_ ” She scoffs. “Ridiculous- wasn’t this the haut monde?”

  
“Oh please Veronica we’ve known him since we were kids. Plus I know you don’t hate him as much as you say, I’ve seen you two arguing about the stupid novels you read. Plus he practically _lives_ with you, so-“

  
“Uh, _excuse me?_ ” Veronica sits up with an offended look. “He does not live _with_ me, he lives in the apartment _under_ me. It’s practically servants’ quarters.”

  
“Whatever” Betty dismisses, searching her bag for the tube of lip gloss. “I don’t feel like third wheeling you and Archie the entire trip anyway. And it’s _my_ year to plan our birthday so you can keep it quiet darling.”

  
Veronica raises her brows at her friend. “Did you fuck him and fall in love or something? Since when do we invite welfare babies to our parties?”

  
Betty’s face turns red and cross, glaring at Veronica through her compact mirror. “Fuck you, Veronica. And who else would you let me invite? Reggie?” She decides to be bitchy in irritation. “He _was_ staring at you all night at the party.”

 

“Reggie... Mantle?”

 

Betty can’t help squinting unbelievingly at her. “Yes, Veronica, what other Reggie do we know?”

 

“He was.. at the party?” Veronica asks.

  
_Is she serious_? Betty sighs. “It’s almost eight, let’s go inside. Wanna go to the mall after school?”

  
Veronica shakes her head, making sure her uniform is perfect before opening the door. “I have a meeting with my parents and some people about the store. Had to cancel plans with Archie, too.”

  
_Archie_. Isn’t this what she and Reggie talked about, not missing opportunities?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Senior year feels, by terms of classes and social constructs a lot easier than junior year. Apparently everyone is already talking about the party at Cheryl’s tonight by the time lunchtime rolls around, whoever’s invited that is.

 

“Will Veronica be there?” Reggie is asking quite mindlessly, his eyes on the raven haired girl from where he’s sitting on the lunch table with his boys.

 

“Who knows?” Moose grunts, too busy scrolling at something on his phone and using the other hand to feed himself grease covered french fries. “Can Archie make it? He and Veronica are attached at the hip.”

  
“Literally” the sound of his friend’s voice makes Moose look up from his screen, across the courtyard to where both Archie and Veronica are. Amongst the mass of black and white uniforms, she has her legs encased in sheer lacy tights draped over one side of Archie’s lap as she sits on top of it. He seems to be whispering something in her ear that makes her smirk grow slowly like she can’t control it. He grins from ear to ear and they nod at each other, and she runs her hand through his hair before kissing each other in a soft embrace. “Is it possible she got hotter since last year?” Reggie shakes his head, whispering “I love her”

 

  
“What?” Moose suddenly asks, surprising Reggie who hadn’t realised he’d spoken aloud. “Who? Veronica?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
“Valentino Garavani?” Archie asks, taking her hand on her lap to hold in his. “Who’s that?”

 

“Only one of the quickest self made designers Archiekins, he dressed Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor who, as you know-“

 

“Are your fashion icons” Archie finishes for her, with a teasing smile. He plays with her fingers and can feel her nerves building in the small of her back, as she always gets whenever her parents decide to have a meeting. “Will I see you afterwards? Are you going to Cheryl’s party?”

 

Veronica puts her hands on Archie’s face, one leg sliding off him to stand up. _He smells good_ , and with one of his hands lightly caressing her lower back her heart thuds. His eyes are searching hers for an answer but they travel down to the top of her breasts, which you can’t see in her buttoned shirt anyway- but he smiles at her.

  
She swallows. “Probably not. What time is the party? I might not go to that”

  
Archie’s thumb slips under her skirt, and is rubbing slow circles on her leg. “Me neither. I’m still punished for yesterday.”

  
The bell rings faster than they expect. Veronica gives him a final peck and picks up her bag. “I’ve got to go. Do you have class?”

 

“A study hall with Betty” Archie stands up, her body moving off his. “There she is now.”

 

The blonde in subject appears at the door of the cafeteria, books and binders in one hand. She looks as endearingly clueless as always, breaking off from the group of girls that are still talking to her as her green eyes find Archie and her face lights up, heading towards him.

 

“Okay then.” Veronica squints her eyes at them, she feels a little jumpy as she leaves the cafeteria. But making sure to remain poised and calm she just has to trust that nothing is going on other than her raging gut feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica sits in the backseat of her parents’ Bentley on the way home, it’s raining out and she’s feeling quite pleased- despite missing the first of endless string of parties in the school year, her meeting went well, and she got the opportunity to wear her brand new yellow suede raincoat for the few second walk from the building into the car. She hopes someone got pictures of it. Her phone is vibrating with messages from Archie, snapchats from the party that appears to be _wild_. But her eyes only focus when she sees a text from Cheryl saying _blondie has your boyfriend. Where are you???_

 

  
She clicks Betty’s instagram and realises her day isn’t going to get any better. That’s when she starts flickering through her stories and sees, right after some inspirational quotes about the new school year, is a picture of _her_ boyfriend and Betty together. They clearly weren’t at the party and Cheryl telling her this just makes her blood boil that much, knowing that _other people_ know too.

  
_How did Archie not text me about meeting her? What the hell are they doing alone together?_

 

She feels her teeth clench sharply as her father backs into their private garage, the engine turning off and her rage turning on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Later that night Archie makes it to her penthouse. The front desk lets him in without a second glance, and he punches in the security code before trembling into the foyer. The entire upper part of his body feels numb. Maybe from the cold he just ran in all the way from his house, and he is dripping from the tips of his red hair all the way down, but something tells him this perpetual fear has got to do with another thing.

 

“Where are your parents?” His voice is just a bit louder than a whisper, teetering on the edge when he sees her standing in the light from the fireplace, bright orange flames hitting her in the smoothness of her skin, her silky hair, and her eyes that look sad.

 

“In their suite.” Veronica lets out a shaky breath, turning towards the living room where Archie follows her in blind darkness.

  
He tries to reach across the small space between them for her hand, hoping to pull her in one of those perfect-fitting hugs, but she flinches away before he can even touch her. “Talk to me. Please.”

  
“What the hell were you doing at Betty’s?”

 

  
“We were hanging out.” He tells her truthfully. The way her arms are crossed defensively over her chest are a bad sign, and all he wants is to hold her and calm her down but he can tell none of that is happening right now.

 

“I’m sorry, but wasn’t it you that was grounded? And I know your mom wouldn’t just forget about it so you lied to me! Why-“

 

“I-“

 

“-Why would you _do_ that?!”

 

“Are you kidding? Veronica I spend every fucking minute of my time with you” he holds his hands up in expression. “My whole _life_ is you. I can’t make a single decision without thinking what you would think and all I wanted was to spend time with a friend- can’t I have that?”

 

Veronica looks down at her feet so he can’t see her eyes welling up, her rigid frame suddenly moving like it all just hit her. “So you’re tired of being with me?”

 

“No- no of course not” Archie reaches out to take one of her crossed arms, but she immediately recoils. “I will never get tired of being with you.”

 

“Well why couldn’t you have just told me then?” She spits out, exuding the most anger he had ever seen in her eyes.

 

“We changed plans at the last minute.” He says calmly, looking and feeling helpless. His wet hair is falling all around his face and he looks kind of pathetic, but he probably feels worse. Nothing could be worse than the most important person in his life being mad at him, and in an instant the sweet memories of a fun evening with a best friend tastes like bitter water in his mouth. “When was the last time I’ve ever made plans without asking you? You’re so fucking controlling and we hardly ever do anything apart and we fight almost every day.”

  
“That isn’t true!” Veronica almost screams. She does feel insane, like she wants to scratch something out of it’s roots and never stop. “We had a great time together the entire weekend.”

 

He shakes his head, trying not to do anything rash. “Right” he scoffs, “and look how that ended up.”

  
“So you decided it was best to lie to me?”

  
“What _lie_ Veronica?! I told you that we changed plans and decided to hang out it meant _nothing_. Besides- you were at your meeting and I didn’t want to disturb you with your parents there and all I thought it was better.”

  
Veronica scoffs. “So I should thank you then? Thank you, for letting me be focused while you were fucking my best friend.”

  
“What are you talking about?!” He starts moving after her as she makes her way up the staircase. “Veronica all I did was hang out at _our_ friend’s house. I told you it meant nothing!”

 

“You really think it meant nothing to _her_?”

 

Archie finally can’t take it anymore and he pulls her by the arm to stop her. She’s taken by surprise, body turning around slightly while his grip has her in place. “What are you saying, Veronica?” His voice is tired now, only pissing her off more. She wishes he can see the way Betty acts around him or have the same intuition she did- not be so naive all the time about who he lets in. “You’re acting jealous when there’s no reason to be- I don’t know what you want anymore! I can’t even talk to you like this.”

 

“Oh so now it’s my fault, is it?” She takes it just the way he knew she would.

 

Archie can’t really oppose. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, making her ears ring with disbelief, and then “You don’t trust me and that’s not _my_ fault.”

  
Veronica looks him up and down, before using her other hand to push him hard in the chest, unexpectedly making him stumble down a few steps on the stairs. She’s laughing almost humourlessly now, even as Archie runs back up and holds her by the arm again.

  
“Fuck off, Archie!” She hisses, yanking her arm out of his grip and walking up to her suite. “Let go of me asshole.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
                  x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Archie turns eighteen before either of the girls do. The coming May is his nineteenth birthday, but it’s barely November when Betty makes her way up to her parents’ special jeweller and asks for her personalised order with _Archibald Andrews_ in bold, clear writing. She walks there in the morning, restless after Edwardo calls her to announce that it’s finished, half wondering why she ever had it done and it’s that same part of her that eats her up inside every step to the jeweller’s.

 

Impulsively, she opens the bag as soon as it’s passed over the counter. And yes, it’s perfect. The gift itself is small, and nothing he hasn’t had before. But the hand written letter she plans to give with it is what’s going to change everything. She has big plans with her intentions, thinking more Summers and Springs where they run together and cozy Winter night-ins, she drops her credit card for Edwardo and doesn’t stop smiling until she leaves.

 

She sits on the bench where the empty sidewalks in early morning provides privacy, and rips out the page from her frilled pink diary. Right next to the ripped page, her promises for the new year. _I will tell Archie my feelings before my eighteenth birthday._

 

The air around doesn’t smell like summer anymore, and with it, _him_ , and Betty closes her eyes tight to make a wish. She’s tossed and turned many nights and maybe even cried a little. All she knows by now is that she wants him so much it aches, and she wants what Veronica has- in every possible way.

 

When she recalls the gossip Cheryl had whispered one day in class when Mrs Foster was rambling and they were passing notebooks that she thinks Veronica and Archie are _fighting again._ Betty shrugs her shoulders and tries to act indifferent, but the conversation makes her want to smirk the same way Veronica always does.

  
“When are they _not_ fighting?” Josie had asked, louder than she should have, earning a sharp _shh!_ from Veronica in the front seat; raven hair shimmying around her back and shoulders.

  
While that’s true, this time; the fight lasts longer than it usually does and Veronica would’ve taken Archie back by now. Reggie tells her she’s crazy.

  
“You wanted them to break up but now you want them back together?” She just shrugs and stretches her body out on his king sized bed and rolls her eyes. “Are you feeling guilty?”

 

 _Of course I am. I do want them happy. And they’re happy together._ Veronica is her best friend, before anything else. So she has to be Veronica’s best friend too, before anything else. _I never meant for things to get this bad._

 

  
She walks the short distance from the jeweller’s to the Pembrooke, the entire time thinking of what the three of them _are_. It’s always been them three, from Easter Egg hunts in Central Park when they were five all the way here. That was until Archie decided Veronica’s the one he wants to know even _better_ , and then they grew distinctly apart; but also together- into two pairs. Archie&Veronica, and Betty&Veronica. She’s one movement away from clicking _PH_ on the private elevator before realising Archie’s gift is still in her hands. And thinking quick, she punches the 30th floor first and leans her head back on the ride up.

 

  
“Betty?” Jughead seems only mildly surprised to see her, if she dare say- embarrassed with the way he’s dresses in an old t shirt and boxers, which makes no sense because they’ve known each other for years. “What’re you doing here?”

 

“Still groggy, sleepyhead?” She giggles, taking his hand and stepping in without invitation. Jughead’s apartment looks somewhat messier than usual which makes it clear the only reason it’s ever neat is when cleaning comes in- and today’s a Sunday. She takes a general glance around but mostly looks at him.

  
“Yeah, I’m still a little sleepy” he rubs his eyes. He doesn’t let go of her hand either.

  
“Listen. I need you to keep something for me and it’s a top secret” she fishes in her purse for the baby blue bag, and when he’s holding it his eyebrows only scrunch in further confusion. “It’s a gift for Archie but I really don’t want Veronica to see it by any chance- you know, how crazy she can get over nothing.”

  
“Uh, okay..”

  
Her big eyes light up and she claps her hands together, a metaphorical light bulb appearing above her head. “I’m also here to tell you- you’re coming to Ibiza for our birthday party! Me, you, Veronica and Archie. It’ll be a blast. Everyone else will _hate_ that they missed it.”

  
“That- sounds.. fun” his throat feels insanely tight as he swallows. Does the upbeat, excited girl have any idea what he’s actually holding over her sister’s head, and why he’s even being invited in the first place? He never realised it’d feel like a trade but out here, it’s every man for himself. _Either you hunt or you get hunted._ And right now, he has her despite what she knows. Isn’t that what matters?

  
“Pinky promise?” She holds out her left pinky, giving him multiple flashbacks of schoolyard games. But this smile she can make could convince you of anything, and her eyes say so much to him. He’s locking his right pinky with hers, and she bounces with glee and presses a kiss to his cheek. A high pitched _thanks Juggie!_ and then, she’s gone. Leaving him dumbfounded like she always does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
“V?” She calls out into her best friend’s suite, a little cautiously. They haven’t been the same either since her fight with Archie and although Betty misses her she’s not sure how to move forward as friends when she’s responsible for the tear in the other relationship of Veronica’s life.

 

“Betty?” Veronica appears at her doorway. She looks just as pissed as she has all week, but a little more clear headed now. “What do you need?”

  
“Do you wanna come over?” Betty’s voice is tiny. “My parents are on a finance workshop, and I’m pretty sure Polly’s out. We haven’t really hung out, right?”

 

“I guess so” Veronica walks to her, satin robe flying slightly, and looks down with a little smile like she really does miss her best friend.

 

“We could have drinks and watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s, our Sunday tradition remember?” Betty says, already pulling Veronica towards the door.

  
“Definitely.” Veronica feels a little sheepish. Why had she ever doubted Archie in the first place, and think that one of the best people in her life was any kind of threat? _She’s Betty._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

  
Veronica ends up staying a lot longer than she anticipated. They drink a lot of wine and it feels a little like the room is spinning, playing movie after movie, growing gradually lighter with each one because neither of them can handle the dark reality. They play The Beatles on Betty’s record player and lay on her bed together while the music overtakes them into sleep, _protected by a silver spoon._

 

  
Alice Cooper comes barging in around eight fifty in the morning with a speech about them leaving the doors to the jacuzzi open, and then picking up their empty wine glasses and bottles saying this is just unacceptable.

  
“What on earth has gotten into you girls? Didn’t you used to spend all day outside?” She snatches the duvet off them and Veronica springs up, the blonde still remaining tired and motionless in her spot.

  
“Sorry Mrs Cooper. I had a fight with Archie.. and Betty was helping me mourn my wounds- and I think it worked. Thanks to Betty.” Veronica makes up quickly. She rushes to Betty’s dresser and runs her fingers through her hair.

  
In the reflection, Alice is still taking it in but she’s also shaking her head disapprovingly at her daughter, eyes turning softer around the edges when Veronica starts to speak. “Well, don’t you look beautiful Veronica. Paris _has_ made you even more marvellous, you should tell me all about it in near time! I’m sure your parents made quite the adventures.”

 

“Oh thank you, Mrs Cooper. And yes, my parents certainly know how to make things happen..” she trails off with a nervous laugh, contradicting to Alice’s delighted one.

  
Betty watches her mother and best friend from the middle of her bed, fully feeling the annoyance. She doesn’t even listen to what they’re talking about but it goes on for a while, but she’s grateful that Veronica’s charm and her mother’s adoration will distract her from being lectured. She just pulls a pillow on top of her head and wonders if her mother even realises it.

 

Alice tries to parent one last time after she’s effectively hurried Veronica out to enjoy the extensive breakfast already served downstairs. She sighs and smoothes out Betty’s long blonde hair and tells her to not let her life go to waste. _Veronica’s starting her own business soon, you have to at least busy yourself with useful employment regularly._ Betty wants to scream and tell her this is the only day she’s been in bed past seven a.m. But she waits for her mother to tell her she loves her, only getting shooed off to wake her sister up and eat breakfast.

  
“I made sure to buy lots of yogurt and fruit, baby. It’ll be good to stick to that.” Alice says, “I just think you’ve been having too much pancakes, don’t you agree? Do you know how many calories you’re consuming in just one meal? All those hours running and doing backflips for nothing..”

 

“I forgot to tell you- I invited Jughead over for breakfast.” She cuts through. There isn’t enough time in the world to feel beaten down by her mother, but all of that will most definitely sink in later.

  
The look Betty gets is typical. She sighs and tucks her hair back, mumbling something about spending time with lost causes before leaving the room. Her and Hal leave for work at press before dawn even on weekends, always up and ready like pretend paper dolls in a perfect dollhouse. Breakfast spread served, hair all coifed, not a wrinkle in sight. Sometimes Betty wishes she could be like that, that same unattainable perfection she’s always a personal witness to. Or maybe she wishes she cared that much about not leaving the house without a painted face and a great head of hair. She doesn’t. Maybe that’s why it always seems like her mother likes Veronica more, because Veronica _does_ care. She’s flawless without even realising it.

 

Betty trudges out of bed and gets dressed while hearing her mother knocking insistently on Polly’s door next to hers. Any other day she couldn’t have cared less but Polly _has_ been in there for way too long- but she dismisses it. She shimmies into the tightest pair of skinny jeans she can find and pairs matching jacket over it, seeing Veronica’s text **_sorry had to leave. Parental units called. See u at school tomorrow._** just as she’s spritzing her Marc Jacobs Daisy. _Very well then, guess it’ll just be me and Jughead._

 

She intends for them to take breakfast to her living room and they can watch a movie together, one she just knows with a sneaking intuition that no one else would enjoy. She doesn’t acknowledge it, but the truth is she’s always wanted to spend more time with him but the way they’re friendship works has always been the same- fun and banter when they’re around each other and it never goes further. Veronica calls him a powerless striver, and Cheryl hasn’t been on speaking terms with him since she ground her stiletto heel into his foot in the eighth grade. By the time she gets downstairs Jughead’s already there, standing on her front step because her parents probably let him past the gates on their way out. Shoulders slumped, hat on head, Betty can’t help smiling.

  
“Hey” there’s a crease in her hair where her ponytail usually stays, and carefully she curls a lock around her finger. “Come on in, do you have-“

  
“It’s right here.” Jughead says assuredly. She reaches across to hug him thanks, but he stiffens.

  
Just as she’s leaning back and wondering why, there’s a heavy thudding on the stairs and she’s more than perplexed to see Jason Blossom- the college football star who may be twins with Cheryl, but the Blossoms found it fitting that he start school a semester before her so he can be ahead. He’s running out from their upstairs, phone held to his ear with a panicked expression written all over his usual peaceful face. Polly is close behind, confusing Betty even more. She has her robe on even though it’s past ten in the morning now, and they’re both desperately speaking between each other.

  
“...what are you doing there dad? Oh.. yeah.” Seeing Betty and Jughead Jason runs a hand through his red hair and starts to think fast. “Oh, um.. I’m just at.. Jughead’s. The Pembrooke, dad. Yes I’ll be there.”

 

Polly’s face is flaming. Her eyes dart from Jason who’s hanging up the call, Jughead still gaping at them with shock, to Betty who is looking suspiciously at them.

  
“Come on Jughead” Jason suddenly says, pushing the other boy out of the doorway before he even walks in, not wasting any time for explanations. “We need to be at your house.”

 

“Oh, sure” Jughead mutters. “Just kick me out.. sure..”

 

“Polly?” Betty is quick to reach for the sleeve of her sister’s robe, before she can escape, arms crossed and a cocked eyebrow in expectance. Her and Polly might not exactly be as _close_ as when they were little kids, they have different friend groups and since Polly went off to college she’s been more closed off whenever she’s at home. While Betty has at least _tried_ to conform to their parents’ qualms, Polly just never _cared_. She never did. “Uh, do you wanna tell me what’s going on? Jughead and I were just about to-“

 

“I’ll explain _everything_ , Betty, I promise.” And her green eyes look desperate, sliding past Betty to run after Jason and Jughead already disappearing in his car.

  
Betty stares off in disbelief, knowing it’s _just like her sister_ to come in and ruin her plans at the last moment. Just like Jughead had said, _of course._ She slams the front door hard enough for it to rattle, running back upstairs to lock herself in her room for the rest of the day. The house feels empty and it’s only then she remembers how Jughead still has her secret gift for Archie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Jason Blossom doesn’t leave The Pembrooke for awhile either, until Clifford Blossom comes to pick him up from the lobby with crazy suspicious eyes and one of the most terrifying coats Jughead has seen. His son waves Jughead off, pretending they’re total _buds_ and he stands there with a little heaviness in his heart watching the town car disappear.

  
He’s dragging his size eleven boots through the shiny lobby floors with a heaving sigh when he spots Reggie Mantle, one of the humourless pin up football players looking clueless and bored in one of the plush couches.

  
“Reggie?” He doesn’t really know why he decides to make the approach. It’s not exactly unusual to see people from school, this is a big complex and there’s facilities that are being used all the time. Plus, Hiram Lodge _does_ have a very extensive list of contacts, so..

  
“Oh, hey, it’s John” Reggie gives a kind of eased smile, always _chill_ no matter how haunting it gets, sending a puzzled scrunch on Jughead’s face.

  
“It’s Jones.” He smiles flatly. “Jughead, Jones.”

  
“Ohh.. _right_.” Reggie asks him completely cluelessly what he’s doing here. He might be attempting a perfectly pleasant lip service but it’s not lost on Jughead this just means he’s never paid attention to him before- why he lives here is literally _the core reason_ he’s a part of their lives to begin with!

  
Reggie’s dad is here to play golf and he’s faking a stomach illness to cover his hangover, apparently. They talk for a while about school and something irrelevant like food trucks for a while. It doesn’t surprise either of them that they don’t have much in common, but it does surprise Jughead that he actually doesn’t _hate_ being in the prep boy’s company. He isn’t as much air headed or conceited as he always thought; since this is really the _first_ time the two of them ever had a real conversation. He has to excuse the off handed comments Reggie makes sometimes, but other than that they end up exchanging words for a while. He doesn’t really have anyone else to talk to, now, after all.

  
“Hey.. is that, a women’s jewellery bag?” Reggie asks after a few moments of awkward silence.

  
“I’m holding it for a friend?” Jughead suggests helplessly. That can’t be the case, so he doesn’t really see another choice but the truth. In that moment, he doesn’t realise the _harm_ of it either. “Okay _technically_ I am. Betty got a gift for Archie that she wants me to hold while she was hanging out with Veronica and then I went to give it to her but Jason Blossom was there and-“ he shakes his head. “Whatever.”

  
“Wait, rewind that first part- Betty got _Archie_ a gift she doesn’t want Veronica to see?” Reggie waits until he nods before he eases back onto the seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
As the next few weeks fly towards Veronica and Betty’s eighteenth birthday, the two girls grow closer together. They seem to be inseparable, just like it was before. Veronica is thrilled and she’s having so much fun being back home with her best friend, Betty feels lighter and more reckless as their fun contingencies continue. Archie is indifferent about it, but he smiles at them and it’s enough. He blames Veronica’s outburst about him and Betty as her projecting her anger about something else on him, which he doesn’t really mind as long as she’s happy now. And Veronica makes sure to keep a close eye on the two; always sticking to Betty like glue and spending the rest of her time doing just about anything with Archie.

  
Sometimes, the three of them hang out together. Those late evening practices when Betty is too annoyed to go home and neither Veronica or Archie’s parents are home anyway, they all take Archie’s BMW to a yacht club far from the city. They eat lots of carbs in cheesy bowls of pasta and lose at many games of mini golf before going into the club, but they barely start dancing before opting to leave for ice cream sundaes instead. Those moments, feel like it’s just the old days again. Simpler, but fleeting as it’s already left them.

  
Spence’s senior class is running the mile the weekend after this one, and everyone’s in good enough shape that the training isn’t too rigorous.

  
“They’re still together? Since when? I thought they broke up after C’s party.” A few feet behind them, Josie and her two band members’s conversation catches their ears. It’s Valerie, one of the more quiet girls at school who usually just sits in a corner at parties and eventually sings a tune.

  
“Oh please, Val as if those two are ever on steady waters.” Josie mutters irritably.

  
“You’re just iffed because Veronica gets to fuck him and you don’t, Val. We get it- you haven’t got over him since spin the bottle in seventh grade.” Melody replies, the tone of her voice netting Veronica enough to turn around. So does Betty, their ponytails bouncing to the same direction as they do.

  
“No, I pity him honestly.” Valerie says. “That bitch is psychotic enough in everyday life, can you imagine having to get in bed with the control freak?”

  
The three of them might have realised who’s standing just a few feet ahead, because their conversation turns to hushed whispers and they pick up speed to run past Betty and Veronica on the tracks; who’ve stopped frozen in their spot.

  
Betty bites her lip and glances at brunette, who’s eyes are sharper at the edges and she knows she’s trying to contain her vicious rage. “What the hell, V” she says timidly. “I never knew Val had a thing for Archie, and she’s always been so nice..”

 

“Honey, that just proves the bitch can’t be trusted” Veronica points out. “I think we’re just gonna have to knock her down a peg, remind her where her place is.”

  
Betty looks around them, eyes landing on Archie at the end of the track. “What do you have in mind?” She makes her voice sound light.

  
“Well.. do you think it’s time to pull out our game again, B?” Veronica cocks a perfectly arched brow. “Or should I say.. V?”

  
Betty’s eyes glint then, no longer hiding indifference to what her friend is saying. “If you want to team up with me for a little destruction, who am I to say no?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betty is the only one who plays at first. Plays her usual self, that is, by being bubbly and sociable with just about everyone like she always is. Everyone, that is, including Valerie. She approaches her on Wednesday and asks if they want to partner for Science together, to which Valerie finds weird but Betty just explains under her breath that Veronica wants to work with Archie this time and she hates how controlling she is. That itself gives her a lot of time to hang around the dreamy eyed, lyrically gifted soon-to-be victim. They use free periods to work on the project by the school fountain, and Betty becomes increasingly pressing about her new friend’s romantic life as the days pass by.

  
And, as the first week of introduction passes by, Veronica tells Betty it’s time for stage two. _Now, distance yourself. It’s only in your nature for people to still be attached to you, trust me it’ll work._ She writes a note from Betty (that’s actually from Veronica) telling her all about Veronica being jealous of her and how they can’t be friends anymore. _We can still talk, leave a letter behind the fountain and we can meet up! I’m sorry. She’s crazy, isn’t she?_

 

 

Betty kisses the end of the paper with _pink perfection_ lip tint and applies another coat on as Veronica forges Betty’s signature in spectacular cursive writing, the two of them giggling on Veronica’s bed as they do so.

 

  
“B.. you wouldn’t actually call me crazy, would you?” Veronica wonders, a slight swell in her heart when she reads through the small stack of letters between Betty and Valerie. It’s no secret that people have always had this _image_ of her in their minds, and it doesn’t bother her- or at least she tries to not let it bother her. But when she’s seeing it in such closeness to her, she does _wonder_ about it.

  
“Not to your face” Betty says flippantly, scrolling on her phone.

  
Veronica just scoffs. But inside, it _does_ mean a lot more.

 

 

 

 

 

They wait the game out for a while so Valerie doesn’t get suspicious, but in the meantime, Betty can’t deny that she and Veronica _have_ gotten more attached and it’s the cause of another problem at hand. _Archie’s gift._

 

 

 

_**Jug? Can you come by or not?** _

 

 

 

She bites her fingernails nervously as soon as she presses _send_ , looking over her shoulder to make sure Veronica isn’t out of the shower yet at another one of their endless sleepovers. She knows that her best friend usually takes twenty minutes on average for a night shower, so she _should_ have enough time to meet him downstairs and stash it before she comes back out.

 

 

 

**_I’m on my way! Have to cycle. Why?? Is it urgent?_ **

 

 

 

**_No, no.. I just want to make sure. Don’t worry._ **

 

 

 

She flings herself on the bed with an exhausted sigh, holding her phone in her hand. She feels oddly self conscious, with that letter, and all those words of hers that she poured out but it’s not in her hands now.

 

 

 

 

  
Jughead does try to get to her gated residential as soon as he can, he _does_ , but there’s been heavy rainfall all week in the city and he should’ve expected that there’d be a fallen _tree_ right in his path. The other route around the block could take another twenty minutes, and the way a certain hitchcock blonde is insistently texting makes him think right now that might not be an option. He tries stupidly to make the narrow path only to topple over tangled roots on the sidewalk, skidding like a real joke onto the slippery wet ground. _This **would** happen to me. Fuck my life._

 

He thinks maybe Betty can send a car to pick the gift up from him, that’s definitely something he’s seen Veronica do before; so he tows his bike under the shade of some French restaurant and reaches into his (now) damp coat for his phone when another one of the sea of tinted car windows rolls down and a Cheshire smile and big brown eyes belonging to yet _another_ one of Spence’s humourless pin up football players; Moose Mason.

  
“Hey Jughead” they’re the same words Reggie had used those weeks ago, but Moose says it with an easy kind of genuineness. “What you doing out in the rain? Come in, we’ll get your bike.”

  
_Oh, what the hell_. Jughead thinks. He slips into the backseat and Moose’s driver helps to install his bike in the boot of the car while he exhaustedly sighs his thanks and swipes out his phone, sending the next text to _hitchcock blonde ._

 

 

  
_**Sorry, I couldn’t make it the storm is terrible. Next time?** _

 

 

  
“Fuck Jughead!” She whispers, reading the text. He doesn’t even realise the kind of ticking time bomb he’s holding onto, and in that moment neither does she. But _something_ about it is killing her with anxiety.

  
“Who you talking to?”

  
Betty whirls around, facing Veronica in her satin robe and wet hair wrapped up in a towel. _No one,_ she lies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Friday, 4.15 at the fountain. That’s what Betty tells Valerie in the last letter. After talking to her, Betty knows that whatever Valerie feels for Archie isn’t nearly heavy- but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t piss Veronica off.

 

Or Betty.

 

They sit in Betty’s sky blue Cadillac and the hum of it is satisfyingly loud enough to show off when they pull up in the mornings, but now they have to park far enough away that Valerie doesn’t _hear_ them. In the driver’s seat, Betty is squirming.

  
“What has gotten into you? You’re acting like a fish out of water” Veronica wonders, checking her compact mirror.

  
Betty pokes her tongue out at her. “I’m just nervous. What if someone sees us?”

  
“No one has ever caught us before. But they will if you keep acting like that” Veronica slides lower in her seat as two football players walk in front of the car. She does a thorough glance over of the school ground from where they are and then sits back up.

  
“Valerie is going to die when she sees you” Betty admits, a half guilty laugh follows.

  
“You mean when she sees _you_?” Veronica smirks, pushing back a lock of fake blonde hair off her shoulder trying to imitate Betty’s mannerisms. “Speaking of, B.. that uniform _does_ look a little tight.”

  
Betty gasps, more like a shriek in horror. “Wait- you don’t really think I’m fat, right?”

  
“Of course not, Barbie Doll.” Veronica twirls her hair with impatient affection. “ _Oh_ \- here she comes now.” The two of them duck down as soon as Valerie starts to approach the fountain, emerging from the back door which means she’s probably had music practice until just now.

  
Valerie looks around, confused by no one there. “Are you sure she’ll write everything in that note?” Veronica asks, the only part of them visible from outside the car at this point are the top of their heads and mischievous eyes.

  
“Yes, I’m positive.”

  
“And did you tell her to leave it at the fountain?”

  
“ _Yes, bossy._ ” She rolls her eyes with a sigh. “Now _go_ \- she’s gonna get anxious waiting too long and leave.”

  
She takes that as her cue to straighten up, doing one gloss over of her look in the mirror before strutting out of the car and slamming the door shut. If Valerie has any clue, she’ll think that it’s Betty from behind and would be none the wiser. Veronica starts to feel a little nervous as she walks closer, but in the car; Betty feels nothing of the sort. She knows how many times this has worked and she’s confident. As soon as the figure of someone in Spence’s uniform, long blonde hair and the same shiny pink belt and boots that Betty wore to school this morning, Valerie perks up.

  
“Betty!” She called and waved, hoping to get the other girl’s attention. It doesn’t work, because she looks up and sees Betty heading straight to the fountain instead of to her first.

  
She quickly makes strides towards her, only to pull lightly on pher shoulder and blinking in complete shock when the person isn’t Betty at all, it’s who she _least_ expects.

  
“Sorry about that” Veronica pouts, faux sincerity dripping from her tone as she rips away the blonde wig and shakes her long raven hair out. “Were you expecting Betty?”

  
“Actually I was. And give that back- it’s for her”

  
“Oh honey” Veronica quickly snatches her hand back before Valerie can reach for it. “Except I _am_ Betty. I wrote to you. And she was just playing you, crazy huh? Those green eyes hide all the lies”

  
Valerie narrows her eyes at her. But Veronica isn’t stupid, she can see the quick panic fogging up and a grin tugs at her lips. “This was all a joke from you?”

  
“We could call it that” Veronica shrugs. “You should have known- after all, I _am_ vindictive, crazy, a control freak, aren’t I?” She lists off, eyeing the very detailed words in Valerie’s letter.

  
She opens her mouth to say something, but is stopped by Veronica taking a step closer and locking her eyes down precisely on her. “You don’t need to talk, just listen alright? We can keep this secret lust of yours between us, but if you ever dare say a word about _me_ , or _my_ relationship, I will _fuck you up_ do you hear me?”

 

  
Valerie takes a step back, her heel coming in contact with the bench.

 

 

“Have a nice day” Veronica says. She backs away just as the blue Corolla pulls up to them, and Valerie catches a glimpse of Betty waving her fingers with an impish grin as they drive away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
                  x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

  
The third week of November stretches out perfectly before them, awaiting the weekend ahead, and the girls are buzzing in anticipation.

 

They’d spend the entire month packing, two of them shopping up and down every high fashion store, couture boutique, atelier, for the perfect outfits. Betty stops going home altogether after the first week and they crash in Veronica’s suite every night, she even has her own room set up but it only gets lonely when Archie decides to sleep over too, and the two of them spend hours in her room with the door locked.

  
Betty finally comes home to gather her toiletries and passport the night before their trip, and Alice Cooper is actually thrilled to see her youngest daughter for once. She barges past her closed door and Betty whirls around, feeling like a deer in the headlights.

  
“Elizabeth! You’re home finally! Darling, what should we do for your birthday?”

  
Betty sighs disappointedly. “I’m celebrating it with Veronica, mom, I told you this like a million times since February.”

  
“Wait, Elizabeth” Alice sits her down on the bed slowly. “When did you tell me about this? Where are you two going? You really should be home more often sweetie, your father misses you.”

  
Grabbing her Victoria’s Secret toiletries bag, she flashes her mother a quick smile. “I’m going now, mom.”

 

She’s had multiple arguments with multiple people leading up to this trip, including _Reggie_ , who just can’t seem to fathom why she wouldn’t invite _him_ instead. _Opportunities, B. This is our perfect opportunity. I’ll swoop up Veronica and you can charm Archie while we’re there, it’ll all work out._

  
Her head feels like a complete mess, everything leading up to this moment. The spine holding her family up is starting to crack down, the stress that mostly comes from all these _relationships_ she’s formed now, not to mention the guilt that is still eating her every time Veronica and Archie walk into a room together. _What do I want?_ She asks herself, staring out the tinted window as someone else drives her to The Pembrooke. _And why is it so hard for me to know?_ The car stops at the drop off and she sees Hiram and Hermione Lodge, laughing together and talking to some friends outside the building. Hermione is clearly saying something about her husband, the way his eyes look amusedly at her and their friends start to laugh. And Betty thinks, in twenty years this could be her friends. Standing in front of their empire, everything they built together, successful in business and in life, and in _love_. It feels like the picture is becoming clearer as their days pass by, and Betty just wants to know maybe what her picture would look like too. _Do I want that too? Want someone who loves you, someone who understands you- want sapphire stones on fingers and kisses on cheeks. To hear echoes of the empire we built together. I guess all I want is.. someone to stay with me._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While waiting for Archie to finish with his shower and for Betty to get here; Veronica takes the opportunity to turn her laptop on and finish editing the video that’s part of Betty’s birthday gift from her, and all of their friends. Despite them having this big extravagant trip, Veronica knows that nothing feels better than getting a sentimental surprise. She managed to gather all of their classmates, the other cheerleaders and jocks and just about anybody who’s worthy enough to be apart of their social circle; _and_ her sister Polly to say some nice things and memories about Betty on a video for her birthday.

  
She walks over to the sofa outside her room and sits down, pulling up the almost finished project on her MacBook. The first few clips are of them, looking _much_ younger than they do today, Veronica has her head in Betty’s lap while she braids through her long hair in one. There’s some of them on vacation with The Lodges; her Betty and Archie, leading up to all the interviews of their friends.

  
“ _Hi everyone, I’m Veronica and this my birthday gift for my best friend Betty_ ” Veronica says with an extra cheerful voice.

  
“What the hell is that?” Jughead asks, standing in front of the mirror and fixing his hair without facing her.

  
“Shut the fuck up Jughead” Veronica casts a glare over her laptop screen.

  
He grins lopsidedly in the reflection. “Tell me how handsome I look today, Veronica.”

  
“Oh, Jughead” she sighs “you know I don’t tell lies in vain.”

  
She continues the video and decides to ignore him, the way she plans to spend this entire trip so as to keep herself from being annoyed by his presence. The video cuts to another one of herself after Polly is done speaking, sweet words and well wishes on her sister’s coming adulthood.

  
“Betty you know that you and I are very close, I mean-“ she laughs “We’ve _always_ done everything together. And all the trouble we’ve gotten into together, our crazy parents and everything that we figured out _together_. I mean, we’re like the same person.”

 

 

 

 

 

  
                     x:x:x:x

 

 

**_The Sun, Monday 23rd May :_ **

  
_Birth rights, rivalry and murder in an upper-class New York City high school. Is Spence becoming the site for the tortured youth?_

  
.... although the current suspects cannot be named, neighbours and school board members have described two of them as best friends with their victim. Personal footage from what might be a keepsake states, “ _we were like the same person_.” The mother of a classmate tells us, “ _this is such a shock because that girl always seemed to have the perfect life. My daughter heard rumours that she took drugs quite often, and that it’s become a brigade in the safe confines of the private school_.” Something as simple as a toxic friendship could lead to many kinds of destruction, as far as jealousy can take someone. But it’s frightening that this can happen in a school like Spence. As for who the FBI suspect- sources claim that a female member of the senior class was taken out of school today for questioning down at the station.

 

 

 

 

 

  
                    x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Are we getting this party started or what?” Betty announces with her eyes sparkling, leaning against the door to the suite.

 

 

 

 

The girls spend the first couple of hours sitting together on the private jet, watching movies and drinking Shirley Temples and taking photos. Archie and Jughead do just about whatever they can on the jet, relatively bored while the girls are in their own world, playing virtual football and video games on the built in tv and racking up the bill on anything chocolatey. When Veronica and Betty are done with their photoshoots, Veronica makes them all agree on one thing from the dinner menu, for friends’ sake. They decide on a massive seafood platter and they end up laughing and talking all the way through their meal, sitting on opposite sides of the table next to their dates. And as soon as they step off that jet 10 hours later, it begins a vignette of inseparability all throughout the trip.

  
It feels different to be doing everything in a group of four rather than three, but good. They check into the hotel together, and the suite Betty’s booked has enough rooms for all of them on their own. They go for an early dinner the first night before hitting the first club and jet lag causes Veronica and Jughead to get into some meaningless argument, and inevitably Betty takes Jughead for a walk under the dusky blue sky and Archie pulls Veronica on his lap and she lays her head on his chest, until everything’s okay again. Betty insists that Veronica and Jughead have to get along for the rest of the trip, tantalisingly saying _for me?_ and in the face of her wide green eyes they give in. And like they’re ten years old again, the four of them go out in somehow coordinated and flawlessly stylish outfits and everyone walks around them like they’re superstars.

  
They dance together that night, hopping from one club to another. They drink together, keeping the orders coming late into the night. Veronica and Archie always get up to dance while Betty and Jughead stay at the bar whispering something to each other a good amount of the time. When they finally get back to the hotel, three of them drunk off their faces Jughead has to keep everyone from falling over and even makes coffee for everyone in the morning. For some reason Betty always gets the prettiest mug, and hers has whipped cream on the top which she gets all over her mouth adorably. They go shopping together, Veronica and Archie lose themselves in one of the dressing rooms and Betty tells Jughead what to buy. They go see a concert together and the girls always buy the weed because they can’t trust Archie or Jughead, and Jughead always laughs when Betty takes more than she can to show off, and Archie always makes sure he’s sober enough so that he can make sure Veronica is alright and having fun.

  
They rent a car and Archie drives them around, Jughead in the passenger seat finally agreeing to put the top down so Betty and Veronica can stand in the back and let their hair blow in the wind.

  
_B and V are eighteen!_ They shout excitedly as the boys hoot and laugh, not caring that nobody else does.

  
Of course, sometimes they split into pairs. When Jughead wants to see the sights near their hotel Archie goes with him. Betty drags Veronica to a matinee in mid-day. When they go into _extremely_ fancy restaurants, they have to sit with their dates, walking in with their right other half.

 

 

 

  
When the four of them aren’t together, Veronica and Archie always have a special moment. One night, around midnight the night after her birthday he wakes her up and drives her down to the beach, and Veronica is confused until she sees the lights lined up leading down the shore, and white flowers decorating the white sand.

  
“Archiekins? What’s going on?”

  
There’s the sound of waves and water and the birds chirping while everything smells sweet, weather it be the candles or the way his eyes are dancing at hers with affection.

  
“Relax, Ronnie” he smiles down at her, hands ghosting on her waist. “This is our special night.”

  
They start to walk down and everything becomes clearer- the ocean, the moon, and all the glittering stars above them that Veronica just about gasps when she sees. It’s also the opportunity that Archie takes to tighten the hand from on her waist, and steps in front of her interlocking their other hands. She looks up at him like she can’t _believe_ him, and he smiles, and starts to dance slowly to whatever slow rhythm they want and desire.

  
“Veronica Lodge” he whispers, her name the only one on his lips. “I want you to know you’re never gonna lose me, okay? Because I’m never going to let you go. I _love_ you. Always.”

  
“You’re not just- saying this because of how often we’ve been fighting this year, are you?” She wonders truthfully, their bare feet still moving on the soft sand, faces just inches away as he bends down to meet her.

  
Archie sighs and puts both hands on her face to kiss her forehead, and with both hands still on her face he’s eyeing her thoughtfully. “I wanna marry you someday, Veronica” he chuckles slightly, even though just the words leaving his mouth sends a shiver down her spine. “And I want us to be together wether you’re in Paris or New York, wether we’re in high school, college, whatever.. I _only want you_. Understand?”

  
His fingers are stroking the space underneath her jaw, briefly stopping as he lowers his head to kiss her lips, feeling passion and assurance connecting them both. Veronica nods, scarcely breathing and holding onto his back as if she’s afraid of him leaving her too.

  
“I was going to tell you all this on graduation” he smiles with an afterthought, “But I know how on the rocks we’ve been.. and I don’t want you to ever be unsure about us.”

  
“Of course not” she shakes her head. “But are you sure you want to be with me for _all of eternity?_ I know I can be overbearing as much as I hate to admit it.”

  
“ _Te amo por siempre, Veronica Lodge_ ” he whispers, face inches from hers. “That’s what we say and I _mean_ it. I love you and I don’t think I can live without you, and I don’t think I want to.”

 

It feels so big and intense, the way that he loves her, with the grandest passion and fiercest loyalty, and in that moment Veronica _does_ believe that they’re unbreakable. Nothing could touch them, not with each other. He takes her hand again and spins her around as she follows, smiling the entire time until he catches her by the waist and dips slightly, kissing her for as long as they both can.

 

  
“You know how to make a girl feel special, Archiekins”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though they all almost _always_ go out at night together, eventually, one night when Archie is helping Veronica to zip up her new red dress in the living room Betty comes up to them and announces in a soft voice that she and Jughead might just be sitting this one out tonight. The couple look at each other speculatively, but shrug before leaving the suite and taking their excitement and chatter with them.

 

“You know this is kinda weird” Betty comments when they’re sitting on the living room couch watching some documentary that she’s been strangely focused on. “Good weird, I guess.”

 

“What is?” His eyes tear away from the tv screen to look at her.

 

“Us. I don’t know, I feel comfortable around you” she explains, without hesitation. “I feel like you get me.”

 

He chuckles. It’s the warmest day of the entire trip, and they crank the air conditioning up; but the humidity is still evident when they go out onto the balcony to see the sunset. He takes photos from many different angles, and _somehow_ , it takes her back like déjà vu, to that summer on her mother’s rooftop with Archie and the pictures. This time, she doesn’t feel _anxious_. That thick taste of happy mixed with sad isn’t there, in fact, she just feels _happy_.

 

He looks over at her and can see the wildness that is her hair when it starts to curl from the sea salt, and her barefaced smile and he wants to kiss her puffy pink lips. Instead he says, “You’re beautiful, Betty”

 

She smirks, a pleased blush making her pale cheeks pink, and says “You’re not too bad yourself, honestly”

  
They go back into the suite so that they can start another documentary, this one apparently about a serial killer in the 1970s, and she’s just wearing a crimson coloured slip cuddling into him and hiding behind his arm every time something remotely creepy happens. He’s never been as uncomfortable in a girl’s presence as he does in that moment.

 

“I never knew you were into this stuff”

 

Betty shrugs at him, as the infomercials roll. She’s not smiling so sweetly anymore, rather an enticing and inviting look in her eyes that’s calling to him. “There’s a lot more to me that people don’t know.”

  
Jughead nods, amused by her. “Oh, for sure. Here I thought I had you figured out. You know.. designer clothes, champagne and parties.. but you surprise me.”

  
She’s not sure why that makes her feel sad, exactly. It’s not anything close to a lie, but it still makes her sad. All her life, all the troubles, and _that’s_ what people know her as. “So.. that’s what you think of me? I’m just a ditzy blonde party girl with a credit card?”

  
He leans closer to her in the middle of the couch, touching her cheek like ice. “On the contrary” he says, “I think you’re spectacular.”

  
And then they kiss, the very best kiss Betty has felt in her multiple rendezvous and meaningless make outs. Their lips melt into each other and everything feels like it’s burning up. This is Elizabeth Cooper, his dream girl and only fantasy kissing him like this. And her hands start to wonder and he meets her eyes thoughtfully.

  
“Do you want to do this? With me?”

  
“Are you crazy?” He says, making her blink. “Of _course_ I want to.”

  
She stops short and smiles endearingly at him, kissing him deeper when she sees that look in his eyes. And so Jughead Jones loses his virginity to Betty Cooper that night on the hottest night in Ibiza, sweaty skin and messy kisses a memory they’ll never forget.

 

 

 

 

The rest of the trip sails by without them realising it, and reality is slowly sneaking up on them. Reality that is; going back to being plastic in their dollhouses and being a perfect couple; perfect friends. It means facing that this high feeling isn’t _real_ , it’ll be gone when they hop off the jet in New York and Veronica and Archie might become insecure and unsure again, Betty won’t feel victorious and at peace. Back to her twisted game with Reggie, and how maybe she doesn’t want it anymore. Archie will have to face seeing his mother get to someone else, Veronica feels the pressure of all the _grown up things_ in her life weigh on her heavier now than ever, almost overwhelmingly so, and maybe Jughead will just go back to being a nobody who’s father works for Hiram Lodge. Maybe the reality is that the _four of them_ don’t actually fit in together as easily as this feels, right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always my tumblr is @ff16xo  
> hugest thanks to my varchiedale girls 💜 and those who read and review.


	3. the domino effect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM FINALLY BAAAACK, okay so thankfully I got the motivation and FOCUS to write this fic again. Thanks to most of the girls in varchiedale gc who have my heart ❣ 
> 
> \- warning; I know some of the ooc characters might be off putting to some people, and maybe this story isn’t written exactly the way some of you like it but I’ve tried to create this world as best as I can, so take it with a pinch of salt? 
> 
>  
> 
> dedicated to yani who probably won’t read this lol and (fandomwolfx, undercoverrose) , ak, fran, izzie, vik, leah, em, tiff & milly. This is for you girls and I love you.

 

 

_\- pulling a trigger’s different than holding guns_

_everyone’s pretty hiding an ugly truth_

_deception is all around, watch it you’ve cautioned now_

_but your human right and temptation’s caught your eyes_

_the holy water is on fire like your soul_

_we are like dominoes -_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 _Excerpt of_ **CONSULTATION BETWEEN DI BROOKE ROBIN AND JUGHEAD JONES, MONDAY 04/05, 08.40**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So.. according to you, you think Veronica Lodge egged her on, and that Archie Andrews killed your friend Elizabeth Cooper?” Robin stares at him intently.

 

 

 

 

“You keep assuming that I’m _talking_ about them. I’m not.”

 

 

 

The two stare at each other for a long moment across the desk in the detective’s questioning room. Robin still has that squinty look to her eyes, like she doesn’t even really believe him.

 

 

 

“What _are_ you talking about then?” DI Robin says, eventually, and Jughead sighs in excruciating frustration.

 

 

 

“What drives someone to hurt other people? People they love, more so.” Jughead wants to thump her with her patronisingly calm voice and just get her to be _real._

 

 

 

 

 

“Look, this is all very psychological and complex” Robin says, “but it involves simultaneous or alternating intense emotions of love and hate when two people are deeply involved with each other- someone driven to hurt the person they love must have very definitely skewed morals driven, perhaps by the manipulator itself.”

 

 

 

 

“So why do they hurt people?”

 

 

 

 

Robin sighs, again, this time heavier. She’s never had a kid this young in questioning asking such brazen questions. There could be two reasons for it. “They might not need a reason. Sometimes people hurt others just for a sense of power- or the enjoyment of another’s pain.” She pauses when she sees the 18 year old boy thinking, his white knuckles find their way to his lips and he gnaws on it- purplish and dark red scars left on them from another unknown occasion. “Do you.. think this was the kind of relationship your friends had? Do you think this could have been the case of what happened to Elizabeth?”

 

 

 

 _Betty_ , he wants to say. _Betty_. He hates how they’re calling her with such a formal, cold tone to her name. The name that only her mother ever called her, or Veronica when she was teasing. It was always Betty. _B, Betts, Cooper_. Never _Elizabeth_. But this inspector doesn’t know that. She could ask them questions for another year, she doesn’t _know_ Betty. She isn’t Elizabeth. She doesn’t look like the gnarly colourless and distorted figure they pulled out of the river and identified as her. She has long legs and she’s strong from cheerleading, her skin is unmarked. She’s graceful and everyone tells her how pretty she is. But she can’t _possibly know that_ , because she doesn’t know her and all she can see is what this _horrible_ person who did this has made her into.

 

 

 

 

“Honestly. I don’t know” he’s swaying with exhaustion and pain, crippling him from inside as the inspector scribbles something. “Those three were always together. Sometimes.. it was hard to tell wether they all loved or hated each other the exact same amount.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  _present day_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The past few days for Archie have been blissful, like they usually are when Veronica is in a blissful mood too. It’s like the rainbow that comes out after a ripping storm. They’ve been at peace since the trip began, and rarely did Archie find himself in an argument with her- instead they spent every spare moment talking and laughing and being more affectionate than usual. As much as he loves the softness of his Veronica, Archie can’t deny that a part of him deeply likes the burning, impossible streak in her, he thinks as he’s tracing her shiny raven hair from behind her ears all the way past her neck and down her bare back.He’s thought about this often, usually in moments like these of basking alone while her breathing evens all his worries and her pretty eyes are stuttering softly in her sleep. She looks beautiful like this, stripped of the Veronica Lodge image the entire _world_ knows her as. Archie would never tell her this, probably afraid of her quick feisty denial.

 

 

 

“Ronnie..” he whispers into her ear, pressing a kiss underneath it. “We should get up” he says unwillingly. Her chocolate eyes flicker open and she turns her body around to face his, pouting that lower lip sadly. Rather than waking up, she wraps her arms around his naked torso tightly, keeping him close to her.

 

 

 

“I don’t want this to end” she mumbles into his skin. They’d left Betty and Jughead and locked themselves in the private room on the jet late last night, and Archie had set an alarm to wake them up before landing. But still, he quickly turned it off and preferred to wake her himself. He can tell she’s exhausted though, and the feeling of her naked body pressed against his is making him never want to leave, either.

 

 

 

He sighs, running his fingers down her spine and resting it on the curve of her ass. “Me neither. But everyone will be waiting for us.”

 

 

 

She makes a distorted sound of annoyance. “Fuck them. Let’s drop those two off in New York and just keep travelling!” She suggests, suddenly all excited and wide awake.

 

 

 

“Sounds great” he smiles when the blankets fall back as she sits upand reveals her bare breasts, then grins in amusement when she gets off the bed altogether, sans any clothing while she starts to look around their little room for something. Archie couldn’t bring himself to ask her what it was, resting both hands behind his head and hoping it’d take as long as possible to be found.

 

 

Eventually Veronica gets her phone behind some throw blankets at the edge of the bed, and she walks back over to him before spreading one leg over his torso and straddling his mid section with practiced ease.

 

 

“My mom’s texted me like a million times. She wants me to find a dress for the Blossom’s winter banquet, and- oh, my dad’s already set _tea with my future professor_ at Yale, next week. And they’re expecting us for dinner tomorrow night!”

 

 

 

“Hey” Archie quickly snatches the phone out of her hand, setting it down next to them and curling his other hand with hers. “ _Relax_. In seven months we’ll be in our own apartment in New Haven, living our own life. And all of this will be but a memory, okay?”

 

 

 

Veronica doesn’t seem bought, still wearing that rundown expression on her face and not fully meeting his eyes. There’s nothing she hates more than all of the never ending planning and impressing that seems to go on in her life. “That reminds me, we should probably start furnishing that. So far we only have the bed, and that _hideous_ chest of drawers your mother insisted we have.”

 

 

 

“We’ll do it at our own pace” he promises, sitting up and putting both of his large hands on her back, nose nuzzling her hair and forehead and planting sloppy kisses all over her face. She lets him, for an elongated moment, before Archie hears the noise of her phone camera going off and he pulls away from her surprisedly.

 

 

 

“Why are you taking pictures?!” He sounds indignant, but her smile is easy.

 

 

 

Veronica is flushing from all his kisses and touches and she laughs and snaps another picture of him, hair askew looking all adorably confused. Her free hand starts rubbing him in slow circles. “Relax, it’s hot”

 

 

She brings him in for a kiss unexpectedly, grinding down on him and trying successfully to build the feeling up. There’s still fresh scratch marks on his chest from her nails last night and she traces them, sliding down on his cock and gasping at the feeling of depth and fullness inside her. He plays with her breasts and it intensifies everything, she starts biting her lip to hold back the noise. But then Archie is smiling at her, and he thinks in a swift motion to lift her off of him and turn her body around, stretching both legs now and letting his hands snake around her from behind as she continues to ride him.

 

 

Just as she’s biting her lip and closing her eyes and feeling the tingly sensation take over her entire body, starting from her toes, there’s a familiar sound and Veronica opens her eyes to see Archie holding the phone in front of them. She smirks, letting him use both hands to grope her breasts and she holds it in her one hand, almost shaking from the pleasure.

 

 

 

“You’re right, this is hot” Archie whispers in her skin, making direct eye contact through the camera screen in front of them. He has one hand squeezing her tightly and the other cupping her jaw, making sure she doesn’t thrash around. “Now watch yourself come”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An hour before they’re supposed to land in New York Veronica finds Betty amongst the half eaten trays of food from their lunch, twirling strands of spaghetti on her fork and staring fiercely at a polaroid in her hand. It’s of the four of them at some fancy bar. Veronica is sitting in Archie’s lap and he’s pressing a kiss to her cheek, her eyes are looking at him delightedly. Betty and Jughead are sitting in the booth next to them, their arms slung across each other’s shoulders and making matching silly faces. Veronica wonders why her friend is staring at it while she takes a seat, sighing calmly.

 

 

“Do you want to come back to the penthouse first? Or should I crash at yours?”

 

 

Betty sighs as she puts the picture down and stuffs her mouth with more spaghetti so she won’t have to talk just yet. “My mom wouldn’t mind you staying over. She likes you more than me.”

 

 

“Probably” Veronica replies with a giggle. “If it’s any consolation _my_ mother does like you better than me.”

 

 

The blonde doesn’t laugh in the whimsical way that Veronica expects as a response, she doesn’t even attempt a smile. She kicks her legs up over the seat andtraces her toe against the window, waiting while her friend asks her what’s wrong.

 

 

 

“Do you regret your first time?”

 

 

 

Veronica looks stunned, blinking at her sun-kissed, sorrow looking best friend. “No. I mean I was young but neither Archie or I had any experience so we kind of.. figured it out together I guess. I know it was _special_.”

 

 

“Right.”

 

 

 

“Why do you ask, B?” Veronica asks her, quietly and seriously. “Do you regret yours?”

 

 

 

“Maybe in some ways. Maybe I.. wish it had been special too, you know? Every single time I’ll think about it for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t say I _regret_ it, but.. it’ll always just be _that_.” She looks over at Veronica and tries to figure out how to tell her she wishes she could find her special one too. “How do you do it? How do you have it all figured out and.. I’ve never fucking known what the _hell_ I even want.”

 

 

 

“B...” Veronica trails off and looks at her sadly. “It’s not like that, at all. I may have other things like school and work planned- but Archie wasn’t one of them. We just.. found each other I guess. I don’t really know if that makes me lucky either, but I know that I love him a lot.” She sighs, and swallows hard before saying certainly. “I do know that one day you’ll find somebody who loves you for _exactly_ who you are. Maybe you already do, you just haven’t realised it yet.”

 

 

 

There are tears in Betty’s eyes, for some reason that Veronica _can’t_ understand, and it makes the chaos in her emerald eyes even louder than it usually is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She intends to call Reggie and meet him someplace in public to talk to him. She doesn’t acknowledge it, but the truth is she’s scared of regretting this in the off chance she _is_ still in love with Archie and whatever she’s feeling right now is just.. a weakness, a fling or some last hurrah. Andre comes to take Jughead and Veronica back to The Pembrooke and Archie is staying at her place for a while longer too, so it’s just Betty in the cab alone when she arrives at her house and sees Reggie sitting on the front step with a slump in his shoulders and awaiting eyes upon seeing her. Reluctantly she lets the driver carry her bags up to front step and she drags her feet to stand beside him.

 

 

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

 

 

 

“Hey to you too” Reggie looks at her with his dark eyes intense. “How was the trip? I tried calling you but you didn’t pick up.. did anything happen?”

 

 

 

Her hair is thrown up haphazardly into a messy ponytail, and she pulls it out and runs her hands through the tangles painfully. “Europe is expensive” she lies because they both know she can afford it. “And what I did get was time to think.. I think I needed it. We can’t do this anymore.”

 

 

 

“Do what?” Reggie tries to move closer to her. “Betty, you’ve been torturing yourself for years over this. How can you just pretend your feelings don’t exist and put yourself through that forever?”

 

 

 

“I’m not pretending” her voice is shaking, and her hands rub over her tired, sunken eyes. “I mean.. I still feel something for him but it’s not-“

 

 

 

Reggie’s face looks annoyed. “What the fuck do you mean?”

 

 

 

“Reggie, this was a bad idea. Maybe you still have a chance with her but.. I can’t go on with this because” she didn’t think this would be as hard as it is right now, having to steel herself to meet his eyes and admit it. Even her voice wavers softly as she says, “I think I- have feelings for him. Jughead. Not like what I felt with Archie.. it’s different and bet-“

 

 

 

“That’s bullshit” Reggie says flatly. “You’re really starting to fall for that loser? Betty- wake up. What the fuck do you even see in him?”

 

 

 

“You wouldn’t understand it Reggie- and I don’t expect you to. But whatever you say isn’t going to change how I feel about him so this crazy bet is over.” She says tiredly, and turns to walk into her house closing the big heavy door with a gentle _thump_ behind her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behind the curtains upholding their _perfect_ American Dream, Betty finds two wrapped boxes and a note on the kitchen counter.She takes them with her to the stairwell and sits down. The first is from Polly who’s left on a trip with her college friends and got her a snow globe with thousands of magnificent, glittering faux snowflakes. The second is presumably from both her mom and dad, a succinct note taped on saying

 

 

 

_We’ll be in Tuscany to visit your grandmother. Happy Birthday Elizabeth. Love, mom and dad._

 

 

 

She reads the note and acknowledges the eeriness of her own home, and with a sigh crumples up all the wrapping paper and takes both gifts upstairs with her. She flips the snow globe over on her vanity, and tosses the desk set from her parents into the back of her closet next to the same one they got her last year. Her heart aches as she wishes she had never come home because her eighteenth birthday should be an occasion of smiling faces and hugs and pictures from her _family_. Slowly stumblingback against the glass door of the balcony, shivering in the wind she reaches in her denim pocket. _God, I’m always gonna be alone. I’m gonna fucking die alone._ It could be tears or the smoke puffing of the blunt in her lips but everything in her eyes fogs up and loses it’s focus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jughead goes separate ways from Archie and Veronica when they reach The Pembrooke, marking the end of their time and adventure together. He opens the door to an empty apartment and thinks of everything that’s happened. It’s getting late into the day, and he lights up a blunt wondering how much money he’s spent getting high to escape. He tries to focus on it _all_ , he does, starting from the demand he’d made from Polly Cooper without thinking twice back before school began, all the way to Betty’s sweet tasting skin and the way her eyes shimmered softly at him before she closed the door of her cab and he watched it drive away. The four of them this trip had become something else- there’s something sweeter about all of them when they’re together, and none of them want anything to _ruin_ that. In his other hand, is the singular thing that could implode on all of them now, he _realises_ that. And for all the guilt he feels with gaining Betty from a bargain, he can’t _hold on_ to this any longer.

 

 

 

 

Explosion.

 

 

 

 

That’s the only thing that could come of this harboured secret.

 

 

 

Wether it be in the form of a fiery Veronica Lodge and the greatness of her wrath he _doesn’t want_ to see, or something else. Something even worse. Coughing, he steps over the blunt and stumbles back towards the entrance, needing to and only thinking of doing this for one reason, doing this for _Betty_.

 

 

 

It’ll do everyone a lot of good.

 

 

 

The penthouse is cold. When he steps in, the first thing he notices is how icy the marble floors are and Jughead knows that Veronica can’t stand the heat, so she’s probably responsible for it. Usually he didn’t mind the cold either, but for some reason it gives him chills now. He instantly thinks back to the first night he spent in the penthouse. It was so large, Jughead had completely lost his way to the guest room in it. Every object, from even then until now is perfectly polished and gleaming. A priceless Yusof Ghani painting takes up most of the space on one wall in the living room. A 350 carat chandelier in the foyer, and multiple smaller ones following it. Expensive ornaments and art pieces scattered in every nook and cranny of the place. He remembers having an overwhelming fear of _breaking_ anything, scared of the shards and how ugly it’ll look shattered, the screeching noise that’ll pierce. And thinking of it, that’s kind of how he’s afraid of Veronica too.

 

 

 

His eyes flicker in surprise, not even realising the tiny girl standing on the window seat of her upstairs suite, fingers curled in her fist the same way her brow is in precise concentration. “Veronica”

 

 

 

“What- the fuck are you doing here _Jughead_?”

 

 

 

“I just came to uh..” he stops, suddenly remembering he hadn’t planned on any way to talk to her about this gift. Veronica barely pays him mind though, her attention has shifted back to the big window and something happening outside.

 

 

 

“ _Shh_!”

 

 

 

“What’s going on? What’re you watching?”

 

 

 

“ _Jughead_.” Veronica sighs heavily as she glares down at him, legs folded high on the window seat. “Can you do me a favour? This is my house. Get out.”

 

 

 

“Veronica, I know seeing me is the last thing you wanna do but-“

 

 

 

“Yeah, well” she mutters under her breath, diverting back to whatever it is that’s so interesting in the window.

 

 

 

Her eyes seem fixed so Jughead sighs hard through his nose, getting frustrated. “I just-“

 

 

 

“ _Shh_! Fuck, get lost Jughead!” Her face turns to him in one single snarl and she reaches down far enough to shove him in the chest, fingernails poking him. “Go!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a huge dinner cooked when Archie arrives in the elevator for dinner, sharpest suit and tie with a modest amount of cologne, wearing his navy blue tie to match Veronica’s deep blue dress. She looks purposefully grand and smoky eyed, some thick dark liner around her cat-like eyes and her long hair half up in braids and the rest hanging down in loose ringlets. They sit in the drawing room and her parents present a new Cartier bracelet for turning eighteen, a kiss on her head for being a good daughter and keys to the new wheels for once they start their lives in New Haven. Roast beef, vegetables, a selection of salads and bread are laid out on the long dinner table when Hermione tells them it’s time for dinner. Archie doesn’t remember the last time he’s had a sit down dinner with his own family.

 

 

Everyone serves themselves from the beginning courses towards the meat, and they start with the farthest utensils from the plate, working their way in. Archie mumbles to Veronica little things in between, as Hiram and Hermione mostly start conversing with each other the two teenager’s small talk goes unnoticed. Archie doesn’t eat a lot, he’s a little too nervous; picking at the small serving of vegetables and nibbling at the bread. Normally, Veronica wouldn’t be eating so well either- but she’s more used to having a mother around who questions these kind of things, which Archie realises when Hermione smiles at him sweetly and says, “You’re not eating much Archibald. Don’t you like it? Would you prefer something else?”

 

 

 

“No, it’s fine. This is good..” his words trail off helplessly. There’s an uncomfortable silence as Veronica takes a particularly long sip of red wine and then Hiram finally breaks it.

 

 

 

“So Archie, tell me how’s your college plans going” Hiram orders. “Do you have the letter yet? You are still set on Yale, are you not?”

 

 

 

“I got the letter” Archie starts. “And.. yes. Yale. That’s.. the plan I guess”

 

 

 

Veronica sends him a look out of the corner of her eye. She knows that Archie didn’t really have a preference when it came to choosing colleges, like he does most things, just knowing that a place with sports is ideal, and definitely one close to Veronica. The latter confirmed Yale to be the best choice. Hiram and Hermione have been talking about it since she was eight years old.

 

 

 

“Excellent school.” Hiram says, nodding slightly. “And have you decided on your major?”

 

 

 

“Broadcast journalism. Once I retire from a professional team, then I’ll get a job with ESPN. I’m also thinking of getting a minor in business administration, I’ve heard that helps when it comes to endorsement deals and contracts.”

 

 

 

That got both adults to perk up, exchanging a proud look. Veronica smiles too, Archie had been _particularly_ nervous about that question when they practiced.. “Is the apartment settled yet?” Hiram asks.

 

 

 

“Please let me know if you need any help, Ronnie” Hermione adds. “My little girl’s first home. It _has_ to be perfect!”

 

 

 

“When do you two plan to leave for New Haven?” Hermione asks more conversationally. “You have to consider how long it’ll take to settle in. Moving somewhere new can be difficult!”

 

 

 

“We don’t know yet” Veronica replies. “We might not leave early, we might spend the summer somewhere else first.

 

 

 

“For what? You want to get training, Archie. And waste no time if there’s any chance of getting on a professional team after graduation.” Hiram says it in such a way as if it’s _obvious_ , and Veronica is drinking her wine again while Archie grinds his teeth quietly. “Remember sports is risky. You don’t want to make _any_ bad decisions. After everything your step father’s done to help you get where you are. Unless of course you have interests in going back to singing show tunes again.”

 

 

 

Veronica’s eyes flicker towards Archie, knowing her father just hit below the belt, and he knows the rest of them are looking at him too, but he just keeps chewing and ignores them as best as he can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s early in the morning now, and Veronica stands in just her green camisole and school skirt trying to make out what’s happening outside. It’s the same thing as last night, her father and Betty’s father have been shut in his car for the past twenty minutes after the thinning blond man showed up discreetly with a brief case and a straight face. She wants to know what’s going on. It’s weird enough to have a business meeting on a weekend and not in her father’s study, _as usual,_ let alone that they just seem incredibly shady about whatever it is. Veronica knows she can read people very well and there’s something wrong about both their expressions.

 

 

 

 

She’s fully aware that all her father’s business endeavours may not be completely legal, but she never really minded. As her mother had said, _this is what provides our lifestyle_ , Ronnie. And she’s been naively closing one eye since. But this is her best friend’s father, and she doesn’t know why, but she’s not sure she wants the Coopers to be folded into whatever her father has tucked up his sleeve. Veronica has to find out what’s this all about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as Betty tosses her keys in her bag and starts bouncing up the stairs outside Spence School, a dark limousine pulls up and a chauffeur jumps out immediately to open the rear doors. She knows who it is even amongst the other line up of tinted windowed cars circling the school’s entrance, it’s Archie and he doesn’t waste time before reaching back into the automobile to help Veronica out. Betty very seldom takes notice of anybody else’s grand appearance anymore around here, as it’s easy to forget, but something about Veronica’s elaborate beaded jacket and electric blue heels, and the heavy pearls on her neck draws everyone’s eye; even hers.

 

 

 

She glances at Reggie, already chasing a ball around the courtyard with Moose and Chuck, and his eyes pass over Betty with annoyance as he continues to dribble. Betty feels a tightness in her throat. _I never meant to lose a friend._

 

 

 

 

They all keep their distance throughout the school day, unintentionally, Betty spends a whole math period with just Archie out of the four of them in complete silence at the back of the class and more so than often, focuses on her equations. She thinks and hopes that all of them are oblivious to her sour mood, but as she stands by the lockers near the conservatory after school and sees Veronica striding towards her from the garden she looks anything but normal.

 

 

 

But the girl doesn’t even spare her a glance as she marches by, presumably to leave the school, and before the flash of glossy raven hair can get past her she stops Veronica by the arm. “V? What’s up? You look off.”

 

 

 

“Do you know what’s going on between your father and mine?” She asks straightly, the two of them moving closer together as her voice drops lower.

 

 

 

“What? Nothing.” She says, and brows furrow as Veronica looks off to the side. “What’s going on?”

 

 

 

“Don’t tell anyone but I think they have some odd business together. I don’t know what it is B, but I know what happens to the people my father ‘works’ with. He’s vicious. He cuts them off once he doesn’t need them anymore and then they’re nothing and- before.. I didn’t care, but what if something happens to your family B?” Veronica can feel her lower lip trembling, a sign of nervousness that she doesn’t _like_ people seeing, so she bites the plump flesh down and tries to keep her poker face.

 

 

 

Betty just looks confused. _It’s not like I really care about my dad anyway, but.._ “What the hell- my dad was supposed to be visiting my grandma yesterday!-but it makes sense. I mean, they’ve been kissing up to your parents’ ass all year.. I guess I can help you try and figure it out if you want.”

 

 

 

Veronica nods and pulls her by the hand, little does she know that Betty has another intention of going to The Pembrooke and she quickly whips out her iPhone to send a discreet text to Jughead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                    x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Maybe they just have some secret they’re keeping from the press for now.” Betty tries, looking around Veronica’s kitchen where they stopped for a snack. The bar area alone is bigger than the one at The Cooper’s, which she mostly enjoyed because they always got a never ending supply of just about any delicacy she could desire.

 

 

 

 

Veronica pondered the comment. She stayed still on her stool and unfolded her hands. “You don’t meet up in a car if you’re hiding from press. Do you want something to drink? You seem all tense.”

 

 

 

“Yeah, some things have been shitty, in case you haven’t noticed.” Betty rests her cheek in her palm and gives Veronica a pointed look.

 

 

 

“Of course I noticed.” She slowly reaches her hand across the counter, but they’re sitting far enough where Betty has to meet her halfway, except she doesn’t. And Veronica slowly retracts her hand, watching the blonde’s drained face carefully. “B, have you been high?”

 

 

“Not since we got back” she lies.

 

 

 

“B.. it’s me.” Veronica tries to say softly. This is exactly what they were all afraid of, coming back and all of a sudden everything’s too complicated. She doesn’t even know _why_ it is. She wants to ask Betty, why two days ago they were at the highest of highs together, feeling invincible, and now she can’t look her in the eye and speak and Veronica is feeling like she can’t speak to her either. She wants to ask her what’s wrong. She’s not lying when she says she _notices_ too. Notices how much thinner she looks, how dark the circles under her eyes look compared to her even paler skin. She just doesn’t look like the same Betty they always knew, almost like she was just.. disappearing in front of her.

 

 

 

_I thought I was in love with your boyfriend for years and now I might be torn, but it’s too late and I made a promise with the devil and I’m scared of what’s going to happen and I’m scared of being alone._ “Just forget it V. Let’s try and look in his study.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Betty agrees to check the penthouse library while Veronica snooped her father’s closets, she walks into the vast establishment and sees all the shelves of books, everything symmetrical, and she feels incredibly disoriented. Her head feels like it’s throbbing and threatening to blow her skull, she uses one hand to steady herself on a shelf. She looks around and slips her phone out of the belt in her uniform skirt, turning it to life.

 

 

Dozens of notifications buzzed on the screen but she scrolls past all of them to Jughead’s chat.

 

 

_**What the hell are you doing? I don’t have a lot of time.** _

 

 

_**I’m sorry! Where are you** _

 

 

 ** _The library_** , she texts back, trying to find a quick exit. _**Do you have the thing or not?**_ This is the first time she’s contacted Jughead since their _fling_ , and she knows full well that this isn’t fair to him. She doesn’t want him to think of her as using him, but in the moment she’s desperate and she just keeps disappointing people.

 

 

****

**_Betty did you move it from my headboard???_ **

 

 

 

Her heart swivels in panic, hunched over her phone. It’s a bad feeling. **_Of course not! Why??_** She frantically types back.

 

 

 

 ** _My whole fucking room is upside down._** Three little dots appear as Betty imagines the worst. Her eyes grow wide. **_Betty it’s not here._**

 

 

Her fingers feel weak as she reads it again, even more confused every single time. _It doesn’t make any sense. If it’s not there then where-_

 

 

 

“B? What’re you doing you’re supposed to be searching the shelves”

 

 

 

Betty jumps at the sound of Veronica’s voice, dropping her phone and turning around in a shocked haste. She gulps and tries as best as she can to not faint in the middle of the library. “I.. got lost.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica should have known she couldn’t rely on anyone but herself to get this secret out. Betty is having another one of her blonde episodes as far as she’s concerned, and after effectively calling a car to send her friend back home Veronica is pacing up and down the hallway in front of her father’s study. She’s nervous, to say the least. Her and her dad have never had a particularly close relationship, he enforces the rules in the house and she tries her best to follow them or not get caught rebelling, she makes sure to get perfect grades and stay out of trouble and he closes one eye at whatever she’s doing with whoever up in her suite. It’s always been like that. One of those fathers that just.. _never got involved._ Veronica thinks it could be worse.

 

 

 

 

They got home twenty minutes ago, when she was in the lobby busy helping Betty into a car.

 

 

 

“Daddy?” With a soft rep on the heavy wood door, she lets herself in.

 

 

 

Hiram Lodge’s study is like something out of Victorian times. A loud, magnificent fireplace that always seems to be alive, it’s deep red flames sending a flickering dark hue all around the four walls. Every knob on his desk and cupboards, every plush black leather seat, down to even the stationary is custom chosen to fit his liking. Veronica doesn’t know why, but something about the smell of rum and bad intentions always does a number on her.

 

 

“Veronica? _mija_ , you know the rules. No disturbing me in my study.”

 

 

 

“Those were the old rules, daddy.” She tries to make her voice sound loud and firm. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”

 

 

 

 

Hiram stops for a moment, looking sharp and powerful behind his desk. “Fine then” he almost chuckles, humouring her. “What is it?”

 

 

 

“I’ve been seeing you have meetings with Hal Cooper. And I need to ask you” she swallows, crossing both arms. “What do you have planned? Are you going to screw him over? Make him lose everything? And don’t think that I don’t know about all the other people before because-“

 

 

 

“Goodness Veronica. You have an even bigger imagination than I thought.” He sounds appalled at her insinuation. “Darling, why go to this trouble of insulting my business- that has nothing to do with you? Why the sudden care about what happens to The Coopers anyway?”

 

 

 

“I care about _Betty_.” In her agitation she wraps a strand of long hair around her fingers and tugs it angrily.

 

 

 

Hiram’s lips flatten as he takes her in, eyes flickering from the current presence of his grown up daughter to the little girl in pigtails and a jaw breaking smile on his desk. He realises how different both pictures look, almost never noticing all the time in between has been gone right in front of both their eyes. “The last time you came in here..” he stops, picking up that framed photo and leaning back slowly. “Same as this.. asking questions, demanding answers. You were just six years old.”

 

 

 

Veronica starts to walk to his table, suddenly feeling goosebumps on her arms. She doesn’t remember this, _daddy’s mausoleum_ was always the last place she wanted to be as a girl. Lightly, she places her fingers on the table between them and glances to the picture.

 

 

“This was a good day, remember?”

 

 

She does remember it now, and _no,_ it wasn’t.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            _November 2007_

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was supposed to be a very good day. Veronica was going to wake up, take her bath and get dressed in that brand new beaded dress, lace stockings and fluffy fur coat her mommy had bought, _specially_ for today. She was supposed to get her pretty dark hair curled, and walk around in little shining high heels (she’s excited to finally be as tall as Betty) and have all her pictures taken at the gala with mommy and daddy. She’s supposed to have waffles with syrup and raspberries for breakfast, and she’d already _promised_ her mommy how she’d behave like an elegant young lady at today’s party. _No running around making a nuisance of yourself with Archibald and Elizabeth, do you hear me?_ And the day would have been perfect. In the beginning, it was.

 

 

 

 

She did exactly all the things she was _supposed_ to, everything she was _promised_ , and she’s feeling very giddy now sitting in the living room with her fingers moving on the piano keys. Veronica can’t really play well, yet, but daddy always tells her to keep herself busy and she just keeps waiting, waiting, _waiting_ for mommy and daddy to appear and for Smithers to take them to the gala.

 

 

 

She thinks of finding mommy in her dressing room, but she knows better, knows that makes mommy mad. So she sits at the bench, little legs dangling even in her new heels, and very _unproperly_ starts to hit that same note on the piano until it makes her giggle, her ears ringing with pleasure. Betty always says this note scares her, but Betty doesn’t even play well like _her_ , and after all; Veronica likes it. She likes the way the loud sound intensifies.

 

 

 

 

“Veronica? Silly girl, what are you doing?”

 

 

 

Her eyes light up. Mommy always looks likes the prettiest lady in the whole wide world, her rich long hair swaying halfway down her back, pinning very grandeur pearl earrings on. Veronica knows that she wants to be just like her mommy, one day.

 

 

 

“Mommy, we’re running late for the party. You know there’s not going to be any more cameramen to take my picture if we’re late, all the _big_ important news stations don’t wait around for slow pokes. I don’t think they understand being fashionably late.”

 

 

 

“Oh sweetie.. we might not be going to the party. Daddy isn’t feeling very happy right now” She walks across the threshold to her little Veronica, taking the seat next to her on the piano bench and looking carefully into those soulful brown eyes. “But we don’t want anyone to know that, do we?”

 

 

 

“Why is he angry? He’s making us late for his tantrum!” She slumps her shoulders and pouts. “Is it because of your tennis instructor?”

 

 

 

“Now now darling, that’s why you need to help me. Get that look of your face Veronica, I always tell you I hate that face” Hermione says.

 

 

Veronica straightens her back again and waits as mommy fixes her hair and headband to perfection, taking a deep breath and resuming the cool, sweet smile on her lips. “What do I need to tell daddy?” She asks.

 

 

Veronica remembers that day in her mother’s office, she shouldn’t have been hiding in the closet but she and Betty had been playing hide and seek and mommy’s office is the _only_ place Betty wouldn’t look. She would finally _win_. She never meant to overhear or eavesdrop on anything, even anything she doesn’t understand.

 

 

 

“Now, you tell daddy that you were playing hide and seek with Elizabeth.” Mommy says. “But you went to hide in my office, and you saw Mr Wagner and I have a friendly, pleasant conversation. He might not believe you at first, but that’s why you’ll have to be convincing _mija_. Tell him what you actually remember, _just_ like I said.”

 

 

Veronica doesn’t really feel like lying to daddy, but she bites her trembling lip and rearranges all the pieces of the memory in her head until there isn’t anything wrong about it. She feels sorry for mommy that looks so sad and a little scared, so she doesn’t tell daddy about her and the tennis instructor. “Is he going to let us go to the party then?”

 

 

“I think if he’s in good enough spirits he wouldn’t miss it for the world. You don’t want any of your friends to have a lovely time without you, do you?”

 

 

 

She thinks for a moment, torn secretly. “Okay mommy. I’ll do it for you.”

 

 

 

“Thank you sweetheart, that’s a very good girl. Now, you run along and get talking to daddy, and I’ll Edwardo to get that crystal bracelet you love on hold for your birthday.”

 

 

 

Veronica skips through the dark halls, dangling her little handbag on one arm. Feeling tiny and powerless next to the gigantic door to her daddy’s study, she tip toes as high as possible and sends a hard firm knock on the wood _. I hate to see you like a lot monster but this time I won’t run and hide_.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            _present day_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“This time, it’s different daddy.” She loses any patience as a light sheen of waterworks start to glisten in her eyes. She can’t even remember what _actually_ happened that day in her mother’s office anymore, only the story that was put in her mouth. Not that it matters anymore, but Veronica knows two things for sure and it’s that she’s never going to be like her mother, and two, she hates being told what to do anymore. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what the hell’s going on.”

 

 

 

 

“Fine then” Hiram says sternly. “You want to know what’s going on?” His voice lightens. “It might just be the perfect time to tell you.”

 

 

 

Veronica’s breath hitches. She nearly collapses from the words that he says next, and truth be told, after that she’s not sure _who_ she can even trust in this city anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Can we just- can we stop for a second?” Veronica says abruptly, breaking the kiss and turning her head sideways. “I just need a minute.”

 

 

 

Archie lies on top of her, propped up on his elbows and eyeing her thoughtfully. From the moment they stepped out of practice, taking each other’s hand and rushing into the limo without bothering to change out of their cheer and football uniforms- something had seemed off about Veronica. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but she kissed in that sloppy, too-fast way like she does when she wants to forget about something. Her eyes seem unfocused, and Archie uses one of his fingers to twirl her hair in it’s tight high ponytail. “Yeah, of course.” He nods.

 

 

 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asks after continuing to stroke her hair for a moment. She hasn’t really talked to him all day at school either, which means that she doesn’t want to say _anything_ in fear that he’ll know what she’s hiding.

 

 

 

“I’m feeling better than yesterday” she nods and tries to look in his eyes. He recognises that look too, it means she doesn’t want to talk about whatever it is.. which is a little weird. Naturally, he lets Veronica come around on her own time. No one can rush her. “I’m probably just getting my period and I had a huge taco for lunch, I feel gross.”

 

 

 

Archie lets his hand under her cheer top and strokes her belly in soft circles, and Veronica closes her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her skin and the heater in their limo.

 

 

“How are your mom and the gruesome step dad?” She asks, running her fingers through his hair.

 

 

 

“They.. suck” he smiles sadly. Veronica laughs though, which always lightens his mood. “They’ve been together all the time, my mom hasn’t seen me much at all. But, if they’re happy together... there’s nothing _I_ can do to stop that”

 

 

 

“And what about you?” She says with an unsure expression. He knows it well, he gets the same look talking about their parents. “Are you happy?”

 

 

“I’m happy when I’m with _you_.” Archie’s hands slide from her belly, up under the utilitarian sports bra so he can stroke her breasts. “I love you”

 

 

 

“You’re not just saying that, are you?” She starts, but Archie doesn’t have to think about it.

 

 

“Of course not.”

 

 

 

“Promise?”

 

 

 

 

“Always.”

 

 

 

 

Archie has pushed her top off and is rolling her nipple between his fingers. For a moment he twists, hard enough to make her bite her lip and forget where they are. “Let’s make a vow.” He says unexpectedly, her hands looped around his neck.

 

 

 

“What kind, Archiekins?”

 

 

 

“I’m making you a promise now” he speaks assuredly. “That I will never make the same mistakes our parents did.” He looks intensely into her eyes and for a moment Veronica just stares at him.

 

 

 

“Archie, this is ridiculous” it almost seems too much, too big the way they’re tied into each other. She’s given every possible part of herself to this boy and to even imagine that they’d end up the way their parents are now, seems impossible. “And you’re a sweetheart”

 

 

 

“Then humour me, Veronica Lodge.” His expression softens drastically, and he lowers his head to kiss her. “Will you?”

 

 

She nods, scarcely breathing as he lifts her left leg around his hip, holding it steady and kissing her deeper. “Consider this a kiss to seal it.” She pushes his head further down her body then, smirking as he kisses down her chest, sucking a hard bud into his mouth. Rolling her head back in pleasure, she checks to make sure the driver can’t see him touching her, but the partition is up high and safe. She feels so _sure_ about him now, like things have never been so final.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes her a while to finally let go of him, and when she does they kiss long and deep, him sitting in the limo and her on the sidewalk in front of The Pembrooke, and it leaves her feeling dizzy going upstairs. She heads straight to her bedroom first, wanting to lay down and rest from her exhausting week instead of hopping in the shower- but she stops herself when there’s a baby blue bag sitting in the very middle of it.

 

 

 

 _To Archie_

 

 

 

This has to be a mistake, is her first thought. Or a friend wanting to send Archie a gift and knowing he spends most of his time here with her anyway.

 

 

 

 _BC_.

 

 

 

She stops short and flies across the king sized bed, her frown becoming deep when she thinks there’s only _one_ BC that they know _. Is this some joke?_

 

 

 

Veronica doesn’t think twice about ripping the bag open, her heart is speeding up without realising. She can’t seem to shake the feeling that something _bad_ is about to happen, and she already feels like she’s drowning by the time she unboxes the stupid black velvet box and the piece of jewellery that sits there. Already, a dark emotion is rising in her stomach and she really _hurls_ the gift far away and her stomach bottoms out when it hits her glass window and shatters. _There’s something fucking wrong going on_. The craziest kind of hurt flashes in her eyes as she stares down at the bottom of the bag and the envelope, in confusion. It’s got Archie’s name on it with Betty’s flawless calligraphy and a wax seal on the back. The _poetic romance_ of it all makes her tear it open before she can think, and frantic little pieces of thoughts jumble through her brain as she reads through every single thing that’s apparently been long pent up and the evidence of their entire friendship becoming a _lie_.

 

 

 

 

 

**“** _Dear Archie, I don’t really know how to put this and trust me I’ve written this about a thousand times- but there seems to not be any words in the world to perfectly put out what I intend to. I guess.. I always had an imagination where it’s you and me. I imagined a world in my mind where we ate pancakes and waffles before going to school together. I imagined that when our day ended you’d have pink kiss marks on your cheek. I kind of imagined we’d tell each other goodnight and good morning every single day for the rest of forever, and I guess you could make a whole world out of the things you imagine; but we live in this one._

 

 

_And in this world, every time I drink my coffee black I taste the bitter taste I get when you’re not mine, it doesn’t taste anywhere near good- but I never stop drinking it because I’d rather have the smallest parts of you than nothing at all. Maybe I have to let go of this illusion that things can be any different from the way they are now, but honestly, it feels good to feel something for someone. Even if it is pain. Sometimes, I don’t even know if I’m extremely sad or extremely happy when I think of you, Archie. But every time I let go of that illusion Archie, you tell me that anything’s possible, and that version of us in that world where we felt the same way about each other. Love each other, look out for each other. Feels real. I guess in that perfect world, you would love me the way I have always loved you. **”**_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica’s resolve has officially cracked. Her tears spill down her cheeks and she bites hard into the inside of her mouth, overwhelmed by everything that’s folding out in front of her. She starts to cry in the middle of her bed and she wants to erase every _single fucking memory_ of her and Betty in her entire _life_ , so this won’t hurt anymore.

 

 

But the letter is like a laugh in her face telling her _darling, this won’t be so easy._

 

 

 

She has a boyfriend, and she told him twenty minutes ago that he’s her forever and anything like this was completely unimaginable- but now all the blood inside her flows cold. It feels like there’s _glass shattering_ inside her heart, and she doesn’t _understand_ this, _how could this be real? How could Betty do this to me!_

 

 

 

No answers come to her. All there is is silence, and more, and more, and more tears until all that she hears and feels is the fucking unbearable silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She barges past the front door without a knock, not waiting for anyone to open it. _She has to find Betty._ When she rounds the corner to Betty’s room, the blonde is sitting on her window seat; looking up when she sees Veronica striding towards her.

 

 

 

“What’s going on?” Her green eyed gaze flickers like she does know what the fuck is going on, or at least suspects it. “Did you find out what’s happening between your dad and mine?”

 

 

 

“Oh, yeah, I did” Veronica says, but there’s an edge of furiousness in her voice that only ramps up her seething eyes more. “But that’s not why I’m here- Why have you been avoiding me and acting all weird since I came back from Paris?”

 

 

 

“What?” Betty asks simply. Veronica puts one hand flat on the wall above Betty’s head, making sure their eyes are matched and the smell of her perfume and clothes is close enough to breath in.

 

 

 

Veronica feels like she can’t breathe again, but this time it’s rage that’s subsiding all the confusion and pain. “What the fuck did you and Archie do while I was away? I know what you wrote in your stupid letter. Did you really think you were going to spill all your feelings out to him and he would actually be with you, and everything would just be dandy and sweet, huh? After lusting after _my_ boyfriend for god knows how fucking long!”

 

 

 

Betty gulps hard and says reluctantly, “Veronica.. I- I didn’t mean for that to-“

 

 

“I always knew you were a stupid whore.” She says lower, and as Betty tries to stand up and level herself Veronica uses one foot to push her down _hard_ and suddenly she doesn’t have anywhere to go. “Delusional. What did you do, did you kiss him? Did you fantasise about it?” She clucks her tongue at her, getting closer. “Elizabeth if I were you I’d get the fuck out of this city before something bad happens to you”

 

 

 

 

“Veronica I’m sorry, okay!” Betty finally stands up, wrapping both arms around herself tightly. Her eyes are painted in passionate _fear_ , she’s scared of how this is going to affect them, how badly she’s fucked up, but mostly; she’s scared of Veronica and she never has been until this very moment. “I tried to stop it all I didn’t even _have_ it Veronica _please_ -“

 

 

 

Rage boils through her body at every word, and the only thought on Veronica’s mind is getting her to _shut the fuck up_. She throws her hand forward as hard as she can, whipping it across her quickly bruising face. “Don’t you _dare_ try to play the victim here! What could _possess_ you to write those things and feel those feelings and then _look me in the face_ every single day and pretend you were my friend?”

 

 

 

Betty stares at her with wide eyes, hand slowly making it’s way to her fire red cheek and flinching ever so slightly when the pain becomes apparent.

 

 

 

Veronica’s clenching her jaw so hard it hurts, but she forces herself to step up closer and take two of Betty’s perfect blonde curls and wraps her fingers around them slowly. “You really think I’m going to let this go just like that? _No_.” Her fingers curl tightly and she pulls _hard_ , making Betty’s face crumples in almost tears. “As far as I’m concerned our friendship is over. I’m sure you know by now what I’m capable of, _darling Betty_. So if you ever try and show your fucking face in front of me again? I _will_ kill you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is where all the FUN starts, I’m holding my breath tbh lol. p/s as you can see I upped the chapter count to 5, (I know, I know) cause originally it was gonna be 4 but after writing this chapter I realised there’s still a bit (a lot) more to be told in this chapter and I didn’t think it’d be right to rush it. 
> 
>  
> 
> tumblr | @ff16xo
> 
> leave your thoughts for me 💭


	4. je te pardonne

_\- oh, i forgive you, you did not see right from wrong_

 

_and oh, I love you always in my heart you’ll live on_

 

_always in my heart you’ll live on -_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Veronica!” Archie is trying to _whisper yell_ her name to not attract the attention of everyone around them. She ignores him. It started with two texts on his phone from _Betty_ , just as the skies had begun to darken. Immediately Archie sat up on his bed, calling Veronica’s phone before she had a chance to do anything bad. Which resulted in this- him, still trying to talk to her outside the Pembrooke building; (silly of him to think being in a public place would control Veronica’s anger to any extent) and her throwing a shirt from the bag in the backseat of his car right at him.

 

 

 

“Veronica, what are you doing?!” He tries again, tossing the shirt back inside his car.

 

 

 

“Cleaning our stupid stuff” She knows how threatening her voice sounds, not sparing a glance at him.

 

 

There’s no way he’s going to talk her out of this. Him showing up here, even _thinking_ that she’d consider anything he has to say would be laughable if she wasn’t seething. _How stupid does he think I am?_ She throws another article of clothing at him. But he catches it- which only pisses her off more.

 

 

 

“Veronica stop!” He says, tossing all the clothes back in the car and slamming the door shut so fast her fingers almost get caught in it. “Why are you mad at _me_? I didn’t do anything!” She glances up at him gravely and he puts more distance between them, knowing better than to touch her right now. She doesn’t give a damn who’s fault this all is- she just wants to be done with all this shit.

 

 

 

“You’ve been feeding into it” she answers him in a distasteful tone and crosses both arms. Her voice is loud enough that she knows everyone can hear them. “Plus you’ve spent all your time with her the past year, you couldn’t handle missing her so much?”

 

 

 

“I missed _you_!” He raises his voice only a bit, her festering rage just getting to him. There isn’t anything Archie hates more than Veronica questioning his feelings for her, especially without any reason. She watches him take a deep breath then returns to his whispering tone. “Betty’s basically my only other friend- I was just trying to kill time waiting for _you_!”

 

 

 

“If you really loved me you would’ve told me about what was going on!” She pushes him wildly to emphasise her point, now seeing that they have everyone’s attention.

 

 

He smacks his hand against the hood of the car and she hears a collective gasp come from the people around. She belatedly realises how riled up he is now, too, and an involuntary chill runs down her back and arms. “I know you Veronica. You’re just trying to put the blame on everyone else- _especially me_ even though I didn’t do _anything_ \- because you’re angry.”

 

 

 

“You think?” She puts both hands on her hips. “First I see you two being all cozy the _moment_ I get home from Paris and now this fucking letter? How many signs do you need to see before you _wake up?!”_

 

 

She sees a vein in his neck and waits for him to get a sentence together without stuttering. Her accusing him of anything will always be a breaking point. “It doesn’t matter how close I stick to you Veronica- you’ll always find a way to make this _my_ fault.”

 

 

 

“Maybe I’d believe you weren’t so far up her ass if the first name I just saw on your phone was a text from her!” She shrieks, heart thudding faster at every word. She hates whenever he tries and turn around to say trust is her problem, when he’s the one driving her insane. “Just admit it! Something happened between you two while I was away!”

 

 

 

“ _Nothing happened between me and Betty!_ ” He’s screaming now, just like her.

 

 

“Bullshit!” She calls him out. “I shouldn’t feel this way! You always thought she was pretty and then you convinced me you never cared about her just so you could stab me in the back and blame me for being jealous!”

 

 

“ _Just_ talk to me!” He says for the millionth time in their relationship, and Veronica knows she can’t keep screaming at him anymore. He could only listen to her words for so long before he got sick of it.

 

 

“Archie- you’re just used to us that’s all.” She says slowly and points both hands at him directly. “That’s why you’re still holding on to us you’re _afraid_ of being without me. You need _me_.”

 

 

“That is pathetic” The exasperated way he speaks now makes her want to stay. Like a mix of frustration and desperation in a drug she can’t wear herself off.

 

 

 

“Excuse me?”

 

 

 

“You and Betty have to compete for every single thing in your lives and it freaks you out so much that you have to even think that _our_ relationship is a competition against _her_?”

 

 

 

“Fuck you” she steps away from him and starts to walk inside. “Betty showed me who she really is and now I know to trust my gut next time.”

 

 

 

“Fuck!” She hears him hit the car again but she keeps walking. “Then you should know by now too. No matter how much we fight, no matter how much you push me away we’ll _always_ come back to each other.”

 

 

She stops before opening the double doors to the lobby, wanting to turn around or yell back and tell him otherwise, tell him that this is the last time and what they have is broken but as her lips move and she tries to speak- she _can’t_. She can’t even face him. She walks inside and leaves him there, slamming the door instead of a kiss goodbye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betty does stay true to Veronica’s threat. She doesn’t leave the house except for school for weeks. She tries to skip as many unnecessary classes, study halls and free periods as possible- even going so far as to forfeit her cheerleading co captaincy and letting Veronica take over that. Her parents haven’t returned home, not Polly either, and sitting alone all day for too long has plunged her spirit into a place so dark she’s not sure she’ll ever see the sun again. She doesn’t talk to any of their other ‘friends’, not that she really has any; which she’s noticing now that most of them have easily rallied on Veronica’s side and she can’t even defend herself. It hurts, and she doesn’t want to _acknowledge_ it, but losing Veronica has felt like losing all the best parts of herself, too.

 

 

 

She’s on the sofa watching ancient episodes of Rugrats on the plasma TV one day when the sound of the front door swinging open alerts her immediately. She sits up, pushing the covers off and just then realising the same outfit she’s been in since Friday- her moon patterned blue pyjama pants and a tank top. Looking up, though, her eyes widen with life when she sees blonde hair and a familiar smile coming in tow.

 

 

“Polly! You’re- you’re finally home” her sister walks up to the sofa and hugs her right away, cutting off her thoughts for a moment as she relishes in the warm physical comfort and realises it’s been awhile since she spoke to anybody that wasn’t the maid. “But where’s mom and dad? Where have you guys been? What’s going on?”

 

 

 

 

“Hush, Betty” Polly smiles at her briskly. “Mom and dad aren’t home yet. Which is exactly why I’m here.”

 

 

 

“And... why’s that?” She looks intently at her sister, who’s putting both hands on her shoulders and sitting her back down. Polly looks the same fresh, lively way she does with a bright red purse swinging from one arm and brand new turquoise earrings glimmering behind her curtain of flaxen hair.

 

 

 

“Betty, this might be the last time I come home here.” Now Polly looks serious as ever. “Mom and dad and I went upstate to a court as soon as I told them exactly what I wanted- and it’s all settled. I’ve gotten emancipated, Betty-“

 

 

 

“Wait. Wait wait- _what_? What the hell are you talking about?” She feels like she’s been hit by a truck, the sudden news from her sister after charging in like this always happens- saying hello always means goodbye in this family and her heart wrenches.

 

 

 

“Betty, you have to be happy for me” Polly says desperately. “I’m going to take care of myself. I can’t stand the way mom and dad have controlled me, controlled _us_ , all our lives and you know I’ve always wanted to be free of that. Free of.. _all_ of this” she glances around at their house and Betty finds her eyes following the same trail, taking in their never changing mausoleum and all the joy it never held. “Going to college and then coming back to New York- it just confirmed how I always felt. There won’t be a place in this hierarchy where anyone considers _anybody’s_ feelings but their _own_.”

 

 

 

 _Well, she’s not wrong about that._ The image of dark hair and cutthroat words swims around her mind, but she ignores it. Betty knows this world. She’s one of them, essentially, and Polly is too; but the difference is that Polly has never belonged. Not even in her perky, well liked way.

 

 

 

 

 

“So you’re going to leave me” she mutters “you can’t even set aside your life for the next few years until you graduate? Why go through all the trouble of cutting ties with our family if it’s all the same anyway?”

 

 

 

Polly’s fingers play with the tassels on the blanket and she looks down, wrapping it around her fingers tirelessly. “Betty, you remember when I told you to invite Jughead on your birthday trip?”

 

 

 

“Yes..”

 

 

 

“Right. Jughead _told_ me to do that. With all due respect, you have a shitty choice of friends- I did it because he has something on me. He found out Jason Blossom and I are together and he used that to blackmail me.” Furious tears are suddenly building in Betty’s eyes, listening to every word and not believing for the life of her that this could all be true. “That’s the kind of society we live in Betty. People are capable of anything- there are things in our family that you don’t even _know_ about, and my heart can’t take it.”

 

 

 

The slow look of realisation is darkening and she doesn’t dare face Polly. _I did a lot more than invite him on my birthday trip_ , but she doesn’t tell her that. She just wants to run away and she feels sick to her stomach. “Polly you can’t- you can’t _leave_ me. Please.”

 

 

 

“I have to” she insists. “Being with mom and dad these past weeks- I tried to fight myself and think of a reason to not do this. But after finding out that..” her breath catches in her throat, quickly dropping her gaze.

 

 

 

“Finding out what? What is it, Polly? What _things in our family?_ ”

 

 

 

“I’m sorry” she says tiredly, hands finding Betty’s quivering body and pulling her in close. “We can still see each other, okay? Just you and me.”

 

 

 

In her arms, Betty releases a sob. The cries she couldn’t bring herself to do when she should have. “Please don’t leave me Polly.” _you’re the only one I have left._

 

 

 

She strokes her hair for minutes and fights the tears in her own eyes, not wanting to let Betty in yet and still wanting to protect her from everything that’s about to unfold. She shifts her arms and cups the tear stained cheeks in her hands, knowing without having to see that these eyes have cried too many tears. “Soon you’ll know, soon you’ll understand why I did all of this Betty.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With everything that’s been preying on Veronica’s mind, Josie McCoy’s eighteenth birthday party next Saturday has completely faded into insignificance. Betty had coaxed Josie into giving Jughead an invitation so the _four of them_ could all come together, and the birthday girl wasn’t very uptight about the guest list either- but that’s been the last thing on her mind. She knows buying a new dress and getting her hair cut will make her feel better, so she schedules a day out with Cheryl, and on Friday she goes back home to have a shower after cheerleading practice and then heads over to Barneys.

 

 

 

“There _Her Highness_ is” Cheryl says when she whirls around in the mirror, seeing Veronica appear behind. “You’ve been really slow and sluggish all day, V. Help zip me up? Oh, and get those heels over there for me?”

 

 

 

“The fuck am I, your maid?” Veronica says flatly, throwing her car keys on the chaise.

 

 

Cheryl looks taken aback. “ _Woah_. What’s up with you?” She takes Veronica’s hand and tows her down on the sofa, leaving her own dress unzipped. There’s a pile of _Vogue_ magazines on the table and barely anyone in the store other than some scantily clad, giggling girls who look like models near the dressing room. Veronica feels a hundred times more exhausted than she ever has before, snapping her hand back from Cheryl to shrug out of her cropped denim jacket. “How’s.. Archie?” She starts carefully, knowing how sensitive her raven haired friend can be whenever she broaches on this particular topic.

 

 

Veronica shrugs, flipping her hair over one shoulder. “He’s fine. He won’t talk to me since I basically told him what an emotional wreck he is”

 

 

“I honestly don’t get it, V” Cheryl says, mindlessly now, grabbing the pair of kitten heels and eyeing her long legs in the mirror, grimacing slightly. “If being with him is such a burden, why haven’t you broken up with him yet?”

 

 

One of the store attendants comes over with a box of Cheryl’s things, and Veronica takes it when she sees the other girl too busy. “It’s not a burden. I know what happened wasn’t..” _wasn’t his fault._ “It’s not him that makes me insecure- it’s _her_. But anyway, even _if_ I wanted to break up with him I can’t, our families are still vacationing in Aspen together this summer!” She rolls her eyes.

 

 

“Sounds fun to me” Cheryl shrugs. “Besides, you and that carrot head are kinda meant to be.”

 

 

 

“That’s a weird insult coming from you..” Veronica looks up confusedly.

 

 

“Alright! I don’t know when you’re gonna get dressed V, but look at all these pictures I’ve found of different styles that we can wear when _my_ birthday comes.”

 

 

 

Veronica looks at the pile of photos and magazine strips on the chaise and sighs. She knows how excited Cheryl is to finally be getting the fucking Blossom ring, even though no one else cares about it as much as she does. But as she looks up at the redhead’s keen face, and crosses her legs unsure of how to ease the heaviness of knowledge that will without a doubt crumble _every single thing_ her friend has been building her whole _life_ up for. “Cher.. I have to tell you something.”

 

 

 

“What is it?” Cheryl laughs. “Gosh V, you look like you saw a ghost before coming here- what’s wrong with you?”

 

 

 

“Your family’s ring is already guaranteed.. and not to you.”

 

 

Cheryl sputters in her strawberry daiquiri. “What are you talking about? Of _course_ it is.”

 

 

Veronica bites her lip and twirls her finger softly around abright curly strand of hair on Cheryl’s head. “My parents.. have been working with The Coopers to out your family of something- I don’t know what. But I’m guessing it has to do with business. I needed to know what this was all about, and my dad showed me.. papers. Documents. News strips, letters.”

 

 

 

“Of _what_? Gosh Veronica you’re being so fucking vague” Cheryl can’t resist cutting through. She’s sitting as straight as ever and Veronica can see her breathing shallow ever so slightly.

 

 

 

“They were from your family. _Years_ ago.” Veronica looks into her eyes. “Apparently, because the budget in the business between your family and Betty’s was so tight- your family decided to find a way to cut The Coopers out of it. And I mean.. literally.”

 

 

 

“Why the _hell_ are you telling me this _now_?! What does this mean- and how did we never know about it before?!” Cheryl’s always known her parents have a grudge against the other family, but she always figured it was due to their relentless behaviour and not anything further.

 

 

“It’s going to come out tomorrow.” Veronica says with a wince. “They’re claiming all that blood money back and Cheryl, it includes yours and Jason’s inheritance. I’m sorry- I didn’t know how to stop it!” After feeling drained of anxiousness the entire day, knowing what’s about to come tomorrow; she feels absolutely _exhausted_ now. “What are you going to do?”

 

 

Cheryl’s lip twitches. “That means that all of it goes to Betty and Polly, doesn’t it?”

 

 

She realises with a sickening feeling of dread that _stupid, naive, idiotic Betty Cooper_ is going to be receiving in her exact place, and nothing is going to change once everybody knows about it tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Monday morning at a quarter past eight, everyone at Spence School is more than aware- and well informed, of everything that has happened. Not just The Blossoms’ demise, a dynasty well known for centuries, crumbled at their feet despite Clifford hiring the most expensive scum sucking lawyers he could to oppose the news; he couldn’t. Not just the fact that thebold, rebellious, girl about town Elizabeth Cooper is now the holder to an even bigger amount of blood money than any of them can imagine, after her black sheep sister Polly left the family for good. Now everybody also knows about the drama surrounding the leaders of Spence themselves- which happens to be the news that everyone cares about the most. It wasn’t hard to spread, after pictures people had taken on their phones from that night when Archie and Veronica had been arguing, were quickly sent to everyone in school. There’s their anonymous blog that everybody’s reading : _**the queen bee and the football hero- enter, her best friend?!**_

 

 

 

Which, after getting a look at it herself, Betty can’t believe the length they went to to build a story off innocent pictures of her and Archie from years ago, at the beach in their bathing suits and when she won a modelling contest two years ago- none of it meant anything even though technically she wasn’t wearing any clothes; and with all the things they’re saying making it look like something else in the end she just looked like a much bigger skank than anything else. Not to mention the iMessages forwarded by one of her friends who got it from someone in Gym who got it from one of the football players...

 

 

**_Omg, check this out! Betty Cooper just got written a will of TEN MILLION DOLLARS! Her great grand parents and their family was robbed and brutally murdered by the blossoms- found this article with all the details and loads of statements from her parents! This is insane!_ **

 

 

She’s late for school, bombarded by the amount of horrendous vultures of press outside her house, and she becomes almost immediately aware of all the eyes that follow her, the leaning in and whispers that start up as she passes by as soon as she walks into the main building. Her hair is down and all messy from last night, and she feels like she’s sinking in the unbuttoned parts of her uniform as she feels sick to her stomach; and heads straight for the toilets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archie heads to the east wing as soon as he hears the buzz. Maybe today Veronica will have finally come to her senses. Maybe he’ll be able to show her they’re meant to be together and explain what kind of misunderstanding this is, and she’ll listen this time and smile and they’ll deal with it the best way they do- together.

 

 

Maybe.

 

 

At the east wing hallway, there’s barely anyone and he jogs the near distance to Veronica in her spiked black booties, who’s looking half annoyed and scowling darkly, and exuding an icy air so strong it almost pushes him away.

 

 

 

“Veronica!” Archie calls, her dark curls swinging behind her. She has on one of those French berets in black, and her hair is shorter and shinier- which he notices.“Did you hear the news?”

 

 

“I think the whole city has” She says lightly, but her face doesn’t seem casual, dark eyes rolling at him balefully.

 

 

“I tried calling you yesterday but you didn’t pick up. Is everything okay at home?” His voice is hard as she ignores him. “Ronnie, I’m worried about us, okay? About you, me and Betty. All of us are having a hard time-“

 

 

 

Oh for fuck’s sake. “Stop worrying about her so much, okay? At least she’s a fucking multi millionaire now all on her own- the rest of us still have to find a way to build careers.”

 

 

Archie doesn’t answer, instead staying in his spot and letting her walk ahead. She doesn’t bother to wait on him, but after hearing an unbelieving _sigh_ and something that sounds a lot like _of course,_ she turns around again. Facing him fully this time, she stands up tall and looks him in the eye. “What, Archie? What do you want?”

 

 

“I just want you to fucking talk to me Veronica- this is getting ridiculous honestly” Archie says seriously. “I’m starting to feel like you don’t even care anymore.”

 

 

The weight of all this craziness makes her dizzy as she rolls her neck and sighs. “Fuck, Archie don’t get all worried I’m gonna break up with you or something okay?”

 

 

 

“Why should I worry about that?” He stares at her belligerently. “Why should I worry about that, huh? You’re the one who’s obviously still insecure about whatever it is between you and Betty”

 

 

Archie shakes his head when Veronica doesn’t even react, he starts to walk away with a light scoff.

 

 

“So that’s what this is about? Our fight the other day?” She says, not trying anymore to sound calm. “ _Shit_ , you really can’t get over it can you?”

 

 

 _Except, how am I supposed to get over it?_ Stuttering on his own words, he’s trying to make sense of it. “Just forget it, okay?” Veronica walks away instead; letting the sound of him calling her name over and over just fade into the background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archie feels more and more furious the whole way to the boys’ locker room, and kicks his foot into the first trash can that blocks his pathway sending every little piece of its’ contents scattering on the marble floor. The boys look around, and he knows some eyes that are on him which belong to Moose and the other football players. Moose raises his eyebrows and goes back to changing, letting his friend cool off knowing even from the outside how many complicated matters have decorated his life. He doesn’t bother Archie until he hears a body slump against the lockers next to him and an almost silent sniffle, and realises that Archie is burying his face into his hands painfully.

 

 

 

“Dude, what’s wrong?” Moose touches his shoulder repentantly. “Is it something to do with.. her?”

 

“Nothing” Archie attempts to shrug. Both Moose and Chuck take seats on opposite sides of him, the latter making an impressive jump over a bench to reach him. “It’s just so.. tiring. Even though I know this is just temporary”

 

 

 

“What do you mean?” Chuck sounds skeptical. Archie’s not sure why, he and Veronica had had fights before that they all knew of. Of course, he knows this time is proportionally different but he didn’t realise they do too.

 

 

“If you and Betty never did anything then why is she mad at you?” Moose asks. He purses his lips and tries to slung an arm around Archie, letting his head fall back on his shoulder with a sigh.

 

 

 

“Fuck if I know” Archie swallows and tries to make his face not crumple.

 

 

“You don’t know?” Moose doesn’t sound bought. He’s known Archie all his life, and he isn’t accepting this explanation. “Come on man, you look wrecked, what’s going on?”

 

 

“I don’t know, okay? I have no fucking idea” he hears his own bothered tone. “I just.. want her to stop acting so crazy. I know she doesn’t just get jealous to bug me or something- but this time she’s just.. gone too far.”

 

 

 

“She always does this to you though”

 

 

 

“Yeah, and I never meant to hurt her. Maybe it’s just.. something I do.”

 

 

 

“Or just her specialty of twisting things around so it seems like your fault” Chuck taps him on the chest, making him think. Reggie has entered the locker room without any of them realising, changing into his football jersey with an impish gaze instead of joining them.

 

 

 

 

Archie looks around at the two of them, hiding his hurt. “Maybe she is just insane.”

 

 

 

 

“Fucking shut up, Andrews!” Reggie suddenly pushes his fist into the locker as it slams shut with a rattle, making everyone flinch in surprise. “Do you see who you’re with?”

 

 

Archie glares at him, a suspicious heed to what he’s saying. “The hell are you talking about?”

 

 

“Do you even realise what you have?” He says flatly. Getting closer like a looming cloud. “You’re sitting here talking shit about her- fucking take care of her man- stop bitching, for god’s sake!”

 

 

“You don’t even know anything about it Reggie”

 

 

“You think anyone in this school would give a damn about you if it wasn’t for her? No.” Reggie tries to point out. “She’s the only person who ever cared about you- even freak show Jones has his lame dad who loves him. Can’t say the same about you, right?”

 

 

Half horrified and half furious Archie swings his hand to grip Reggie’s throat . “Don’t you dare say anything like that!”

 

 

Reggie’s face burns.An animal snarl crawled up his throat. “You’re asking for this Andrews” he lunges, swinging forward and landing one solid punch right before their surroundings explode.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica doesn’t really feel like mingling in the courtyard during lunch time with the rest of the student body, who are endlessly talking about Betty Cooper and Cheryl Blossom’s situation. It’s only confirmed when she leans against the veranda of Spence’s second level, looking down to see it- smack in the middle of the courtyard, Betty is being swarmed by girls and guys, some she’s never even seen talk to her before; interested eyes and over enthusiastic expressions. Followed by Betty’s indifferent nods every now and then, Veronica narrows her eyes.

 

 

 

“Seems like little miss hipster is the new attraction, huh?” Cheryl says, the sound of her heels clicking before stopping next to Veronica at the edge, placing one hand over hers on the railing and looking down. She’s wearing a skin tight red sweater over her uniform today, rolling both sleeves up past her elbows despite the cold weather. Both of them still look their usual perfect selves- that’s the thing about girls like Cheryl and Veronica. You can’t break what’s already broken.

 

 

 

“I’ve no idea why. Our friendship’s over now.” And everything has changed. Absolutely everything has changed now.

 

 

 

“The circle we run in is small, but this can’t be good right?”

 

 

 

Veronica looks at her. “What do you mean?”

 

 

 

“Oh Veronica, it means you can’t be letting that pinup girl steal our spotlight.” Cheryl scoffs irritably, looking beneath them once more with distaste.

 

 

 

“You’re just pissed about her popularity now?” Veronica raises her eyebrows comically. “Everyone forgets about drama in a week and a half at most, so what? She’s done a lot more that hurt us.” The two of them are (or were, in Cheryl’s case) the crème de la crème, only daughters and heiresses born into families of high class lineage. Nothing could touch them. At least, that’s the illusion.

 

 

 

“Exactly.” The red head quips. “We should go over there and burn the golden hair off that stupid bitc-“

 

 

 

Veronica laughs at that. “Don’t even bother Cher. The only thing an obnoxious attitude will get you other than two minutes of satisfaction is a bad reputation and very ugly photos. We’re worth too much to get our hands dirty.”

 

 

 

She glances at Veronica’s twitching lip as she speaks, her perfectly sharp jaw clenching and becomes slightly amused and twistedly excited at the tone of her voice. “No offence, but when did you get so soft?”

 

 

 

Veronica sighs and shakes her head, as if she were disappointed. “Do what you want Cheryl- but don’t worry about me. Once I’m done with that home wrecking bitch? She’ll be better off dead.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jughead gets a text from Betty to meet outside school afterwards with another of her usual. He waits, a little despondent on his bike with the wind blowing his jacket and making him shudder. He stares out at the front of the Upper East Side until she appears, and just the way shewalks to him makes Jughead feel overwhelmed somehow; he doesn’t know what it means.

 

 

 

She’s frowning when she walks up to meet him at his bike. She must have been driven to school today, because Alice Cooper wouldn’t allow it with the risk of being bombarded now that their family is on the front pages. Her hair is tied up into a tight bun on her head, and she’s wearing that heavy blue leather jacket she wore at The Lodges’ Homecoming party. “Why the fuck did you want to be invited on my birthday trip?”

 

 

 

“What?” He blinks, now feeling all the tense energy waving off of her.

 

 

 

“I already know what you did. My sister told me. Why?”

 

 

 

The answer doesn’t make much sense, so Jughead doesn’t say anything. How is he supposed to tell her it’s always been her, since that first day he saw her in fifth grade with Archie and Veronica? How is he supposed to tell her he never had a chance in their world..

 

 

 

“So- everything we have is just a complete lie? You just wanted to sleep with me?”

 

 

 

 

“Everything we have? Betty you didn’t even speak to me after we hooked up except to get drugs and hide your stupid gift which got my house turned upside down for- and don’t deny it, you were using me to hide it too. So what makes us any different?”

 

 

 

“You were right. You really don’t know me at all.”

 

 

 

Jughead shakes his head, grabbing both his helmet and tossing her weed without caution. “Right. And I thought you were different then everyone here but you are just like them all. Fuck this.”

 

 

 

 

He turns around, more than ready to leave- it’s the next logical step for her to get lost too, but Betty’s not so sure why she stands there and tries to get him to stay. “We could’ve been good together” she says, louder this time.

 

 

 

 

He freezes in his spot, turning back around and walking up to face her closely. “In which world? Because you and I would never work- and you know that.”

 

 

 

It hurts, the moment that she doesn’t want that to be true. All she feels is emptiness here, the entire city watching her and yet this loneliness has never gone away. She gazes into his eyes, that say so much to her without saying anything at all. “We had a chance. That week after we came back- we could have changed everything and we had a chance. We has a chance and we fucking ruined it.”

 

 

 

Their fingers almost brush with how close they are, and lost in her head she tries to reach for him- but he moves it away, not wanting to hurt her or get hurt again. Neither of them can say anything so she watches him leave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              _23rd May, 2019_

 

 

 

 

 

Cheryl doesn’t know what she’s expecting when her mother and their very successful lawyer had pulled her out from school, but she walks steadily into the station and all the young officers turn to look at her, dark Spence skirt and a beaded blazer over her shirt, curly red hair in a messy bun and wearing those long drop earrings with red stones. She’s grateful for at least being the most well dressed, best looking girl in the room, in her mind.

 

 

 

“So Cheryl, why don’t you start by telling me what happened on the day that this post began floating around on social media?” Detective Robin looks at her expectantly, holding up a physical copy of that stupid thing she made up on her laptop between fifth and sixth period weeks ago as a simple revenge prank.

 

 

 

“It was just a joke.” Cheryl says bluntly.

 

 

 

There’s that suspicious look on her face again. “Did you think it was meaningless? Read to me what it says.”

 

 

 

“Can’t you read yourself?” Cheryl’s clenching her jaw so tightly she thinks she might fuck up some nerves.

 

 

 

“I want you to tell me” Robin says calmly.

 

 

 

“Betty Cooper” she mutters. The paper in front of her is stark white, except for the bright blonde of Betty’s hair covered in drawings of horns and derogatory words she doesn’t read, with her cell phone number printed in bright red block numbers at the bottom of it. “A barrel scrapping, lowlife I’m lonely and I’ll do anything.. for anyone.” She breathes. “Call me.”

 

 

 

“That’s a mighty big joke you were making, Miss Blossom.”

 

 

Her lip quivers and she doesn’t answer, watching suspiciously as Robin shuffles through some papers on the desk. She can’t read upside down.

 

 

She catches Cheryl looking and squints briefly. “Did you hate Elizabeth Cooper?”

 

 

 

“I’m not the only one who did” She says. Even right after the news broke out, Cheryl wasn’t the only one in a hurting position at the cause of this girl. As for hurting her..

 

 

 

“It could happen to anybody. You were all at a party, emotions were high, seeing as you would do something like this that put her in such an uncomfortable place she got rid of her number, her social media accounts- what’s to say a fight between you two could have gotten out of hand that night...”

 

 

 

“I never touched her. Ever.”

 

 

 

Robin looks up at her. “Why do I get the feeling you’re lying?”

 

 

 

“Why don’t you mind your own fucking business!” Cheryl’s voice cut through, so uncontrolled and filled with rage that Robin almost jumps.

 

 

 

“I’m only asking questions, Cheryl.” Robin looks and sounds curious. “That’s all. This is just procedure.”

 

 

 

“But you’re suspecting me?” She says, and even though she means to sound cool and calm like always, nothing can hide the anger in her voice. “It wasn’t my fault somebody murdered her. I didn’t even leave the party, I don’t know how any of this happened and I would never hurt her like this.”

 

 

 

“Tell me what the last week of Elizabeth Cooper’s life was like. Not for her, in general.” Robin says quietly.

 

 

 

“Not a life.” She slumps in her chair, head shaking just barely. She’s suddenly lost of all energy, remembering just how exhausting and tense every single moment of that time had been- crying to sleep and awaking with a heavy head. Nothing made sense. Nothing was the same. “We were all on edge. Everybody had been set off.. it was heavier than anything before.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                _Present Day_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betty’s thinking about how she’s going to get home at all- floating through another puff coming from her lips, when she stops the car at the only place that was as much a home to her as her own. Veronica’s store. It’s still unopened so there’s wallpaper and paint strips all over and some construction where they’re building a fountain inside the store, but ever since Veronica had come back- they’d spend hours in there, after school and on free weekends, looking at colours charts and chatting while Veronica worked. She stares blankly at the glass windows and sees Archie, working on something on his laptop while Veronica is sorting through dresses on a rack.

 

 

 

She doesn’t get out of the car until Archie disappears into the back room, thinking it’d only make situations worse to have the three of them together in a room as she pushes the door open.

 

 

 

“Veronica? You got a minute?”

 

 

 

“Did you forget what I told you?” The brunette says cautiously, looking stunned at her presence. “What else do you want from me?”

 

 

 

She resists the urge to roll her eyes. Veronica looks fresh, out of her school uniform and perfectly applied dark rouge lipstick on her plump lips. She crosses one slim leg over the other, and Betty feels like an after school special standing there with unwashed hair and the pom pom socks from cheer Coach gave them during JV year. She wonders if she’ll ever stop being envious of Veronica Cecilia Lodge. “Are you going to Josie’s thing tonight?”

 

 

 

Reluctantly Veronica rolls her eyes and sighs. “Of course. Archie and I. Together.”

 

 

 

“Okay” she says with a shrug. “I was kind of looking for a dress for tonight.” She’s reaching, but fashion was one of her and Veronica’s favourite things they shared.

 

 

 

“Well unfortunately we don’t have a misfit looking to ruin everyone’s life collection yet.”

 

 

 

 

“V.. I really can’t believe you won’t even let me explain everything that happened. I’m trying to apologise and you’re icing me every chance I get. I want to make this better, okay?”

 

 

 

Veronica shakes her head slowly. “How can you make it better if it’s already ruined?”

 

 

 

Bitch, Betty thinks. “Okay, so what if I also had a crush on Archie at one point?” She balls her hands in fists and both of them are oblivious as Archie appears in the doorway, quickly stepping away at the mention of his name and seeing both girls there talking. “Our friendship is bigger than all of that. We’re B&V. We’re supposed to be best friends.”

 

 

 

Veronica grinds her teeth. That was them, a month ago, but now... who knows? “Friends do not betray each other. And what we had is already broken.”

 

 

 

“Over a boy, Veronica?”

 

 

 

“You were the one who broke it. It has nothing to do with him.”

 

 

 

Archie stares at them blankly. When is all of this going to ever come to an end?

 

 

 

She shakes her head, ridiculously close to tears. “What do you want me to say Betty? You want me to say I forgive you and it’s all good and we can go back to football games and family vacations and everything will be fine again?”

 

 

 

“I don’t care if you say you’re sorry- I don’t care if you say fuck you! Just don’t push me away.”

 

 

 

Veronica doesn’t, though. Instead she gets up, Archie pretends to have just arrived and Betty leaves before he can start. She goes to the small coffee shop on the corner of Millionaire’s Row that no one ever goes to. She thinks about Veronica and Archie, who used to come here in incognito all the time, and as she sits on the cold stool she wishes she could go back.

 

 

 

She shudders at the feeling of her phone buzzing in her jacket pocket, another stupid notification of people calling and texting and responding to that fucking Instagram post she’s sure someone like Cheryl Blossom or Veronica’s lifeless followers had to be behind. She does exactly what she shouldn’t- reading the vile messages of people that used to be considered friends. The cold reality that none of them felt any loyalty to her to resist feeding into this gross joke hits hard.

 

 

 

A tear slips down her cheek. _How did this happen? How did I go from having a million friends and feeling popular to sitting here in a secluded coffee shop with no one to talk to? Not even my sister, not even my best friends, not even my family._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josie McCoy’s birthday party is different from the usual- she tells everyone to dress down, and wear bathing suits or not. The event doesn’t begin until well past eleven, and everyone convoys in sleek looking cars deep into the woods of Balsam Lake, where her parents’ glass lake house opens up to everyone worthy enough to be there. The invitation says BYOB and it extends to any other recreational use, which they know means almost anything could happen tonight. This party is just as cool as the girl- and it makes itself known.

 

 

Veronica makes sure to dress up as is required- looking sexy and perfect in her ruffled black skirt and red strappy sequinned top. She paints her eyes dark shading all around tapering to Cleopatra points,gets the latest runway heels from her closet and clasps a deep red felt choker with black jewels hanging down her chest on. She knows she looks fierce.

 

 

Right until the moment she and Archie pull to a stop outside the house that’s throbbing with music in the late night, he’d had his arm around her shoulder and one on the wheel. Veronica smiles as he tosses the keys to a valet, despite everything that’s been going on, he looks hot in a deep red sweatshirt that matches her colours, his muscles flexing under the skin tight material every time he moves. She kisses him right in the front of the scene and hopes it will last.

 

 

 

The McCoys aren’t as wealthy as The Lodges but this place is huge, with two downstairs living rooms that seem to stretch on for miles, a large kitchen and a den at the back before the extensive garden. And of course, the main attraction- a hot tub the size of one Suburban house pool, encased inside four glass walls that seem to hide where they land underneath the burbling water.

 

 

 

At first, coming in from the cold, and with his stomach suddenly in knots of nerves after Veronica’s coca cola lips leave his, Archie almost feels disoriented. People are flashes of bright coloured clothes, lights going off with every camera click and the smell of alcohol milling everywhere. Faces he recognises but they look different, illusive. A couple of Ivy League boys who’d graduated from Spence last year. Music thumps from the front room through the veins of everyone dancing.

 

 

 

“Jug!”

 

 

 

The dark haired boy looks up. A hand waves from across the entrance and Archie’s worming his way through the people talking and drinking in the corridor and losing Veronica as people grab her to hang out with them. “Isn’t this great? I can’t believe you’re at a party!”

 

 

 

The night’s just begun.

 

 

 

He takes his iPhone out of the pocket of his jeans and the bright flash of his selfie is blinding, but Archie laughs and moves on to other people nodding hellos and giving welcoming hugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Cheers!” The three girls clink their glasses. “Here’s to being legal”

 

 

As Veronica drinks, too fast- needing something to hit her hard -

 

 

 

Betty walks through the door and Cheryl and Josie turn their heads the exact same time she does. Despite being aloof, she hasn’t lost her game. Her skin glows even under the bronzer she’d dusted herself with, glittering like stardust over her bare arms and neck. She’s wearing a simple dark blue dress that fits like a glove, with one of string chokers, the bow tied at the front of her neck making a statement. Veronica looks down at her four inch black stiletto heels and glances across the crowd to wave her fingers at Archie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So” Josie says to Archie as Cheryl arranges some paper on the marble counter in the kitchen. “You want one? If so, we might need cash because we couldn’t get free ones from the blondie now that she’s disowned!” She reaches out and ruffles the girl’s red hair.

 

 

 

Cheryl doesn’t react, all of them are already drunk and even though there’s more than tension between some people in this room, it doesn’t matter. They’re a clique. The golden ones, and they’ll be stuck together.

 

 

 

“Betty won’t be lonely” Reggie snickers. “Little Miss Sloppy Seconds. Did you know she slept with that dungeon freak Jones?”

 

 

 

“Let’s do this already” Veronica says “anyone who mentions Betty again is done here. And what you posted about her was disgusting Cher.” It’s said light-heartedly but Archie knows her, and he sees the way Cheryl flinches a little. “Same goes for you, Reginald. At least Betty’s actually got laid within this year.”

 

 

 

Archie can’t take his warning eyes away from Veronica throughout the conversation, although at this his gaze flicks over to Reggie and tries not to cause a scene. “Let’s do this already” he seconds.

 

 

 

“What is it even? Coke? Molly?” Josie asks.

 

 

 

“Molly,” Cheryl announces, pushing aside the platter of burgers and ice lollies carelessly that crashes on the floor shattering loudly. “Oh shit. Sorry about that.” She passes the paper along to everyone in their circle, Reggie already undoing his wrap as Veronica steps over the shards of glass in her heels and hops up onto the counter. “Don’t snort it, though. It’ll feel stronger and last longer.”

 

 

 

“Can’t believe we have to settle for this shit after losing.. our main resource” Josie says drily.

 

 

As the rest of them begin to toss the bomb of glittering white powder into their mouths, grimacing into their tequila, Archie looks down at his own wrap on the counter and Veronica sitting next to it, feeling the weight of her gaze. “Babe- do you want to?”

 

 

 

“Sure- why not” he smiles slightly.

 

 

 

Veronica pulls his body onto her dangling legs in a hug. “Let’s get this party started!”

 

 

 

He doesn’t really know what to do. Every other time they’ve done this, Archie would claim he’s watching out for Veronica and sit back as everyone else including Betty did the thing. He knows to never put this shit in his body- but alas, you are the people you surround yourself with. He picks up one of the lines and puts it near his lips, wondering if there’s a way out. There isn’t. Fuck, he thinks and lifts the glass he and Veronica are sharing, taking a long gulp, washing the pill down.

 

 

 

He looks up at their smirking faces so long until they start to fade into figures. “Let’s get this party started.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a glass raised to her lips, Betty lolls her head back and feels one of the cheerleaders wrap an arm around her bare shoulder, their blonde hair tangling together while they’re busy dancing. She’s well aware of _his_ eyes watching her, because he hasn’t left his spot from when she first came, and god knows what time it is now.

 

 

Some faceless boy has a hand on her hip and she’s swaying her head back like crazy, her cheeks hallowing as she takes another shot that tastes borderline _revolting_.

 

 

_Party girl._

 

 

The Glacier on her wrist and glitter in her hair makes it easy to spot her, even without the rest of the clique- Betty’s completely wasted and it shows. She downs the Vodka and pours something so strong down her throat that the cranberry essence is barely tastable. She catches his eye in the midst of moving bodies, so many of them, but neither of them make a move to meet each other.

 

 

 

_We’re from different sides. We don’t work together._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By midnight, Archie feels like he’s flying. The effect had been slow, really slow. As it dissolves in his stomach and the drug begins to hit his blood stream, there’s a tingle and then a sudden surge of heat and brightness. His heart is beating faster than usual. For the shortest moment of his life, Archie thinks he doesn’t like it, but then that was carried away on a wave of ecstasy. The music pumps through him, each beat like a throb of pleasure. Veronica is dancing against him, and Archie enjoys the fun losing control- this is their scene and they’re content to be at the centre of it.

 

 

 

Content enough, until Veronica pulls his hand towards the glass doors of the hot tub, and Archie goes with it because he’s excited and dizzy and Veronica looks even hotter than she always does. He pins her against the glass wall, her legs falling open slightly and his lips finding hers. “Let them watch” she purrs in his ear, seeing the dip in Archie’s throat as he swallows hard.

 

 

 

 

Veronica feels sexy. She feels alive, the glass around them fogging up maybe from the hot tub or maybe from all of this, but the reflection of her red sequins make a steamed up masterpiece behind her back. Archie is kissing her hard, and she feels powerful because he wants her. Not Betty. Only her.

 

 

She can see Betty watching as he kisses her and she stares right back, because she’s won. Betty is like a colourless doll, her face showing no emotion. No matter how pretty and tall and skinny Betty gets, she’ll never have Veronica’s mystique. She doesn’t have what I have. The blonde meets her eyes as Archie pins one of her hands against the wall, and it hurts a little- but despite that, she only focuses on Betty’s gaze locked as he pushes his tongue against hers. She tries to smile nonchalantly but her neck is getting red and blotchy giving it away.

 

 

It’s about her and Betty now, _I rise, she falls._

_She says jump, and I’m five feet in the air._

_I twist the knife, and she turns the other cheek._

_A practiced game, where do we land in the end?_

 

 

 

All she knows is that it feels good to see Betty Cooper beaten down again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s only one bathroom that isn’t unoccupied, and it’s in the den out back- which Archie comes out of with a sigh of relief when he hears something, _someone_ , a figure on the deck that overlooks the lake. It sounds and looks like someone hunched over and shaking; two or three very loud sniffs of something being sucked up as Archie approaches.

 

 

 

Then the figure looks up. It’s Betty. As she recoils slightly, pale face in shock, her hand flies instinctively to wipe her face but not before Archie sees the flash of white powder.

 

 

“What?” She glares at Archie, disappearing and defensive. “What’re you staring at?”

 

 

 

“There’s still powder around your nose” Archie doesn’t know what else to say. He’s been stunned by Betty. An innocent crush in eight grade is one thing, but confessing her love or whatever else in a handwritten letter is a whole different world.

 

 

 

“What the actual fuck, Betty?” He blurts out. “I mean, _all_ of this?”

 

 

 

“Oh fuck off Archie” Betty says, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. “What the fuck do you care about me? You don’t understand it.”

 

 

“What _don’t I_ understand?”

 

 

She chuckles then, something like a sob and a laugh. “The joke is even if I told you, you still wouldn’t understand. All you know is your perfectly vile girlfriend and her perfect world.”

 

 

 

Archie’s heat races, his pulse thumping in his ears. _Why? Why do they have to play this game of bitterness?_ He thinks of them in sophomore year when they laid in his room and Betty and Veronica tried to act out all the scenes of Lady Macbeth because Archie was too lazy to read. “Try me.”

 

 

 

 

“I didn’t mean to let all of this _happen_ , Archie” she stares bleakly up at him. “That’s not how it was supposed to happen and no matter what I do know it doesn’t matter- it’s.. it’s _gone_ ”

 

 

 

“What’s gone?” He questions, stepping further into her space. He needs this closure if they’re ever going to move on from all this, grow away from each other and he doesn’t want to look back in fifteen years and wonder why they never talked about it when they talk about everything else.

 

 

 

 

“ _You_.” She says, strangled voice stuck in her throat. “What we had is gone..”

 

 

 

 

“Betty-“ he raises a hand to stop her. “How do I say this without hurting your feelings? We never _had anything_. What you felt- I’m sorry but.. it’s always been Veronica. It always has been.”

 

 

 

She’s shaking in the cold air, looking smaller and sadder than he’s ever seen before. “Right. And you see how she controls you, don’t you?”

 

 

 

“Oh come on- that’s not fair. You were her best friend too.” He whispers.

 

 

 

“It’s not the _same_.” Her eyes search the darkness for any sense of comfort. “Do you think a single person here even gives a shit about who _you_ are without her?”

 

 

 

“That’s not fair” he repeats as she draws nearer to him. He’s worried about her, he’s worried about all of them.

 

 

 

 

“Us, we’re the same..” she trails off and she feels like she’s about to break into a million pieces. “Whenever you two broke up _nobody_ looked your way and it’s the same way now that she’s dumped me too. Don’t you see that, Archie?”

 

 

 

He shakes his head and almost speaks, not quite sure what to say. “I’m- I’m so confused, in my head right now.”

 

 

 

 

“What does she have that I don’t?”

 

 

 

“Betty- it’s not a damn competition.”

 

 

 

She looks at him closely, his brown eyes shining in the darkness, and shrugs. “I get it. She is really pretty. And smart, and elegant as hell. And I know she’s prettier than me.”

 

 

 

“Would you stop? You’re beautiful too”

 

 

 

“What does it feel like?” She sounds like she might be crying. “When you kiss her”

 

 

 

He starts to crinkle his brows in confusion again, suddenly noticing that it feels like the big white moon is hanging right above them. “Betty, what-“

 

 

 

“Just tell me.”

 

 

 

Archie wants to cry, maybe in a good way or maybe in a bad way or both. _How can I possibly describe everything I feel in a single kiss with her_? “Fireworks. Like a fairytale”

 

 

 

Her eyelids feel heavy, as she looks at him and nods. “I know whatever I felt in my head wasn’t real, so I guess this is goodbye.” She wants to feel forgiveness in that moment, for Archie, for Veronica, for herself. They all loved each other at one point and no matter what the _label_ was, it was still special. Betty glances up at Archie, totally exhausted and broken by the fact that the special thing is never going to exist again, and then she cups his cheek gently in her hand kisses him. It’s the realest kiss in her entire life, the most painful one, but the sound of the lake soothes some of that pain, and then she holds on to every languid second until it fades forevermore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheryl shouts to Veronica from the balcony above as she walks out onto the deck, in search for Archie. She closes the glass door so nobody comes trailing after her, and sees the familiar colour of Archie’s red hair and heads in that direction. For a reason she doesn’t know, Archie is sitting on the deck despondently, eyes glazed over at the skyline.

 

 

 

“What are you doing babe?” She asks curiously, as his eyes follow a car driving off the property, and she doesn’t need to ask to know who. “Did.. something happen?”

 

 

 

“She.. kissed me” he says as he looks her right in the eye. No lies, no secrets, no back handed truths. “I’m letting you know it meant nothing.”

 

 

 

“She kissed you” she repeats, almost forgetting all the craziness in this black hole of a night. It’s five in the morning, and the pills have her wasted.

 

 

“Yes” he says, steadily. He bites the inside of his cheek, Veronica is never going to let this go and the entire scenario is playing out right in front of his mind’s eye and he’s so fucking _exhausted_ already. From all of it. “I think we need a break.”

 

 

 

Veronica barely has any time to gather her bearings when Archie finishes his sentences. She sits in complete silence, trying to let the words soak into her mind. “What did you say?”

 

 

“I think we need-“

 

 

 

“I heard you perfectly fine. I was just giving you a second chance to think about what you just said and change your mind.”

 

 

 

“Veronica” he sighs, reaching out to her. She’s his girl, every inch of stubborn attitude and sweet doe eyes. She smells like expensive alcohol and her Chanel perfume, standing there trying to hide her own fears from him even though it’s no use, she’ll always be his girl. “You were right- about everything. I don’t want to hurt you anymore and I _will_ if we stay together”

 

 

 

“No” she whispers, horrified at her own tone. “I don’t want you to end us”

 

 

 

“This isn’t working anymore.. you know that” they’ve been walking on a fragile line longer than they’ve realised, too lost in each other to even notice it- and now the line has broke.

 

 

 

She tucks her bottom lip under her teeth, trying to be brave but she can’t trust anything now. Suddenly all of this feels like a really big mistake. Everything she ever planned, her entire life’s work. If it’s meant to be- then why does it hurt this bad?

 

 

 

“I was wrong about one thing. You don’t need me, Archie- hell you might even be better off without me.” She’s holding her breath, _I can’t lose you_. “I’m the one who needs you”

 

 

 

Something’s changed. His eyes have gone cold and she feels like she’s grasping onto nothing, like finally the dam broke and he isn’t _attached_ to her anymore. “Ronnie- do you remember how we first got together?”

 

 

 

“We always hung out with friends” she recalls, not understanding where he’s going. “And then.. we realised we were in love with each other”

 

 

 

“And we hated everyone else” he smiles sadly, reaching one hand to cup her cheek like a precious jewel.

 

 

 

She’s almost afraid to ask, but “What changed?”

 

 

 

“Nothing. I love you Veronica, and that’ll probably never change” he still means every word he says, hating to see the way her face crumples because _he’s_ hurting her. There’s just been too much _pain_ \- “but we both know we really suck at being a couple.”

 

 

 

She stands there and watches him turn his back, leaving _everything we have._ This is the night Archie Andrews breaks her heart. This is the night he’s the only thing she’ll ever want. This is the night she starts to find it hard to breathe when he leaves. “Archie _wait_.”

 

 

 

Her hands find his and tug him back to her, making him face her and the tears in his eyes match hers. “Archie..”

 

 

 

“They’re playing our song” he smiles nostalgically, as he takes her hands from her face and turns back around. _Poison & Wine by the civil wars._

 

 

 

She stands there and watches him walk away, and the first patters of rain start to fall just like they were in a movie. Just like a fairytale but with a wrong ending.

 

_“I don’t have a choice but I’d still choose you_

_Oh I don’t love you but I always will_

 

 

 

The words of their song playing, and the sound of the rain falling so close becomes a vortex of every promise, every kiss, every bit of love left.

 

 

 

_Oh I don’t love you but I always will._

_Oh I don’t love you but I always will_

_I always will_

_I always will_.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this gave me a headache skdjs
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> tumblr | ff16xo


	5. if i killed someone for you

  * _\- I followed your directions, did everything you asked_



 

_I hope that makes you happy ‘cause there’s just no turning back_

 

_would you love me more, if I killed someone for you? -_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Archie is finally dressed for the big night, and makes his way down their spiral staircase in some new shoes that feel like they don’t quite fit right- nothing does, but he thinks it has more to do with where the night, and _they_ , are heading; than the fit of the clothes- both his mother and Tom are there. They’re dressed up like a picture perfect couple in all new finery, ready to impress because god forbid they don’t. The Lodges Charitable Foundation is ridiculous in itself- it isn’t about charity at all, but showing off who’s got the most money. The amount of money spent on this ball tonight could supply food to the needy for a year, add in the money everyone attending spends on gowns and jewels and thousand dollar suits, they’d probably be able to eliminate poverty in the city completely.

 

 

This is the first social event the _three_ of them are going to attend together as a _family_ , and Archie hasn’t felt more dreadful in years. He stares at himself in the wide glass doors, trying to find a semblance of his father and what he would tell Archie in this moment. It feels like his heart has been hopeless since that night at Josie’s birthday party, like his body didn’t know how to handle it so it just shut down. For some reason his mind is full of the stories of his life tonight, like it may be the last time he gets to just be this. _Archie_.

 

 

He thinks of his father. How his death had been painful and messy and left a scar so deep he knows he’ll never be over it. He wonders if his father would have liked Veronica, wonders if he were still here would he make Archie invite her for dinner so she could meet him. Would he come to the games and make Archie point out which cheerleader she is. He runs his fingers through his hair, smoothing it down again with a sigh.

 

 

 

“Don’t look so despondent, Archie, it’s a party not a funeral” Archie hadn’t noticed Mary approaching, touching him lightly on the shoulder to face her and Tom.

 

 

 

 _It might as well be_. “We broke up.” His voice is catching in his throat as he struggles to calm down. “Can I just stay home, I really don’t-“

 

 

His shaky words are cut short, and Mary and Tom glance at each other like an unspoken comment between them. She starts by sighing at him, the moment Archie has been dreading. “Why would you do that, Archie? What _did_ you do?”

 

 

 

“I hurt her” his lips start mumbling.

 

 

 

 

“By doing what?” She stops him. “What girl could be better than Veronica? I don’t think you’re aware how lucky you were that she was with you.” Tom nods after her in agreement.

 

 

 

“I made a mistake, okay? Breaking up with her was a stupid decision and I shouldn’t have done it.”

 

 

 

“So why’d you do it?” Tom asks.

 

 

Archie just feels held captive by his silence. It’s one thing that the story would be too long to tell and too painful to relive, but he knows the two of them wouldn’t _get it_ either. “I’ve tried talking to her since then. I- I have. B-but she won’t listen to me.”

 

 

 

Mary stays quiet, Archie never opened up about his and Veronica’s relationship, casting a sort of meaningful look to Tom. “Then quit the chit chat, Archie.” He says. “Take action. Do something- show her you love her.”

 

 

 

Archie looks down, keeping everything bottled up like he wasn’t about to crack.

 

 

 

“If you aren’t going with Veronica tonight, who is your date?” He pesters again, impatient for an answer.

 

 

 

“Betty. Cooper”

 

 

 

“Oh darling, her best _friend_ Betty? How could you upend her life and then decide to start seeing one of her closest friends- that’s not how it works if you _want_ to get her back.”

 

 

 

“You don’t get it, mom, Betty she’s.. troubled. And she’s all alone. Her mother is forcing her to go tonight when everyone at the party will look at her in that _way_ , and she’s- she’s a mess. I’m only going as her friend.” Archie argues.

 

 

 

Mary sighs and runs her hand across Archie’s head as their ringer goes off telling them the driver is here, but right now they stand still and let it go off. “You love Veronica, and she loves you. What if she doesn’t want you back? She’s brilliant and gorgeous, and she’s going to an Ivy League to become a CEO and what if one day she finds someone better?”

 

 

 

Archie stares down at his shoes, her words building on him, when he feels a firm hand on his shoulder and it’s Tom- Archie nods with determination after so long. “I’m going to get her back, mom.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She gives him a disbelieving look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x.x.x.x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Is the dress fitting nicely?” Hermione asks, walking into her daughter’s bedroom. Her hair products, jewellery and makeup are scattered on the usually neat vanity.

 

 

 

“Of course” Veronica replies, “you had it fitted like three times.”

 

 

 

Hermione nods, eyeing her daughter’s figure up and down to find anything unsatisfactory. “You know Ronnie, I still think the top is way too revealing.”

 

 

As her mother speaks, she checks out her reflection in the mirror. Her glittery, black full skirted dress makes her lacy bralette clearly visible, but the fact works in her favour and she wants the edge tonight. “Do you want me to go without it?”

 

 

 

“What’s with the attitude, young lady?”

 

 

 

Veronica sighs, glancing up at her mother in the mirror for a brief second. “I’m going into the last summer of high school without a boyfriend, a best friend, and about no one real to turn to.” She thinks, _how’s that for honesty?_

 

 

 

“We never talked about what happened with Archie.” Hermione says, picking up the hair brush and running it over her loose ringlets, voluminous and shining with a certain type of special hairspray tonight. “I thought girls your age are supposed to cry and eat ice cream when this happens, do you want to?”

 

 

 

“It’s complicated and I’m not going to let _Archie_ make me gain weight from eating my emotions. So I’m redirecting all of it into the store opening. And then I’ll do some angry cheerleading. And trust me, I’ve cried.”

 

 

 

“Alright honey” Hermione touches her face tenderly. She knows her daughter isn’t one for conformity or a cliche, never has been. “And.. what about the Aspen trip with his family? And the apartment in New Haven?”

 

 

 

Veronica pauses. She hadn’t even thought of the apartment. “I guess you could throw my name off and let him have it, I don’t care honestly. I can.. get my own house and bring home all the hot college boys to shotgun kiss all I want.”

 

 

 

She seems quite pleased with herself, although Hermione knows better. “Now now _mija_ , let’s leave the apartment in both your names until things are definite, okay? It is a beautiful home.”

 

 

 

“Things _are_ definite.” Veronica answers plainly, without a thought. “There’s no mistaking it. He doesn’t love me anymore. Maybe he even.. loves somebody else.”

 

 

 

“Is this why you’re going with _Reginald_ as your date after your father and I insisted on inviting Mary and Tom _and_ The Coopers?” Hermione guesses.

 

 

 

She avoids eye contact. “Maybe. They’re going together tonight.”

 

 

 

Hermione doesn’t quite know what to say, she isn’t very well versed in this whole parenting thing if she’s honest, and Veronica has always been the kind of girl who keeps things to herself and bottles up. “Well my love, just remember you don’t need to be making anybody jealous, you’re already the prettiest girl in the city, you have a great head on your shoulders and you are going to be the fastest selling fashion designer of your time, you are.”

 

 

 

Holding her breath as she clasps on her pearls, she sees her mother’s perfect silhouette leaving the room, then she stares at the picture frame of her and Archie at the first football game of the season. She stares at it for so long that the image becomes blurred with tears and all she sees are colours.

 

 

 

_After almost two and a half years of being that perfect couple, of being the people that everyone envies, the undoubted high school sweethearts set out to go everywhere together, we’ve come crashing down. We can’t avoid it for much longer, we’re going to have to go through the big changes like the apartment- and I’ll have to let go of him soon, that’s the worst part of it all._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downstairs at The Cooper’s house, Hal opens the sliding door to their pool, letting in the soothing water sounds as Betty waits on the chaise in her most uncomfortable state. Alice Cooper makes her way down the stairs, carrying the dark velvet box with which Betty already knows is about to bother her.

 

 

 

“Elizabeth darling” her mother says, unnecessarily. “You need to wear this.”

 

 

 

Hal nods like he knows what’s going on, but Betty’s only half listening as she walks over to the full length mirror to get a good look at her makeup and dress.

 

 

 

 

“We want you to wear the _ring_ , Elizabeth” Alice says briskly. “I know you don’t want to flaunt in front of your school friends and I’m not encouraging you do, but it is important that everybody tonight sees first hand what you have. With all this talk and gossip from the Blossoms.. honey we can’t let those bastards have the last word more than they _already have.”_

 

 

 

She chokes on her own words. “I don’t want..” She starts to say, but this time Alice doesn’t even let her finish.

 

 

 

“Well there’s what you want and there’s what’s good for you” she says bluntly, hands on her hips. “And this will be the _last time_ you try and defy me Elizabeth.”

 

 

Betty digs her nails resentfully into her palms. “Defy you, mom? So you can parent me as perfectly as you did on your _other_ daughter?”

 

 

 

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

 

 

 

“Okay okay- do not go there right now Elizabeth _please_.” Hal says, and she can tell he’s trying to keep the peace.

 

 

 

Vexation so strong she can barely breathe makes her turn around from facing them.

 

 

 

“Elizabeth you are _not_ going to be like your sister.” Alice says with a rising tone. “You are going to be _successful_ , and have great opportunities..”

 

 

 

“No!” Her eyes seek out both of them, anger flaring in her face. “What opportunities are you even _on_ about?! I’m so sick of your _lies_ and your obsessive stigma! This hatred and contention is _exactly_ why Polly left. Keep going and you’ll see what happens to me next!”

 

 

 

 

“Don’t you dare _blame_ me Elizabeth!” Alice is holding the ring box very tightly and they can see the strain in her knuckles.

 

 

 

“Calm down for a second Alice-“

 

 

 

 

Betty is struggling to keep her cool, looking off to the side. “How can I even try and reason with you? Look at yourself you are _obsessed_ with living through your children and just the idea of not being the most perfect is making you freak out!”

 

 

 

“We are not doing this to punish you for god’s sake, do you hear me?” Hal says tiredly. “Even you should realise that. And don’t say such horrid things out of spite”

 

 

 

“Just wait and see.” Not even holding back now she presses her nails in further, digging in furiously. “But I don’t have to worry. No matter how I end up you are never going to be happy.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archie makes his way to The Cooper’s, not really sure what to think the entire way there. He knows he’s diving way too fast in the air tight Lincoln, gripping the wheel like a vice to hang on with all his thoughts ringing shrilly.

 

 

 

 

 

 _“You’re afraid of being without me. You need me_.”

 

 

 

 

“ _You think anyone in this school would give a damn about you if it wasn’t for her? No. She’s the only person who ever cared about you- even freak show Jones has his lame dad that loves him. Can’t say the same about you right?_ ”

 

 

 

“ _You see how she controls you, don’t you? Do you think a single person here even gives a shit about who you are without her?”_

 

 

“ _I don’t think you’re aware how lucky you were that she was with you.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

He blinks. It feels like he hasn’t slept in a week, somehow. Maybe everybody is right. Betty, Cheryl, Reggie- even his mom. Maybe they are right. There’s a deep cut in his soul that sinks deeper and deeper every second- _what will I say. what will I do to her._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She’s wearing a gold dress when he arrives to pick her up, coming down the front steps of her porch slowly, with a weary smile.

 

 

 

“You look great” he says, even though she’s just thrown her hair up into a ponytail because she can’t be bothered to care. But when he looks at her, and Alice Cooper appears seemingly out of thin air pushing them together to get pictures- as if there wouldn’t be a hundred better taken ones at the venue- he suddenly becomes disturbingly aware that taking this girl is the biggest mistake of his life.

 

 

Betty is in complete silence when they get in the car, something about her air and posture just off to him. Archie supposes it could be the event they’re heading to, but then he looks sideways and finds Betty leaning her head on the door, almost invisible tears running down her pale cheeks.

 

 

 

“Shit, Betty what’s wrong?” He wants to stop the car, when they pass a massive lit up billboard and he can see her bright red, swollen eyes. “Betty..”

 

 

 

She holds out an arm, keeping him far away. He’s never seen somebody clutching so tightly, so desperately to their own pain as Betty does in that moment. “ _Just keep driving Archie.”_

 

 

 

He stops the car at a red light and stares at her helplessly. “Betty don’t be sad.”

 

 

 

“I don’t know what to do” Betty speaks through her clenched teeth, as the car starts moving again. “I can’t live like this anymore.. after everything, is this how it ends?”

 

 

 

“Everything’s going to be alright” Archie says recklessly, making a sharp turn into the Civic centre. “It’s all going to go back to normal I promise.”

 

 

“I’m not going in.” Betty’s teeth are chattering. “You see it, right? How everyone in there looks at me? They all hate me and at least one of them is right to do so.”

 

 

By the time she starts talking it’s too late, Archie’s car is stuck amongst the chaos of traffic and valets waiting to assist, there are photographers swarming the perimeter all leaning into action of wealthy successors sweeping down the entrance and all of it unnerves them. They’re here now and it is too late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The party _is_ the height of luxury, even for Veronica, who finds herself smiling briefly as she steps out of the limousine after her parents and flashing the first smile at an upstanding amount of people. They make their way into the Civic centre, the graciousness of guests talking to them bordering on deference. There’s an Oasis song playing that makes her loosen up a bit and seeing everybody around dressed to their best, happy smiles, radiant skin, makes it all appear like life is perfect and right. Veronica feels like a full grown adult now, and maybe what her mother said was right because everyone is eyeing them, _her_ , with admiration.

 

 

 

“I’m going to wait out here for Reggie and Cheryl.” Veronica tells her father after their photograph is taken.

 

 

 

“That’s fine” he answers, directing himself and Hermione towards the entrance. “Don’t be too long princess.”

 

 

 

They disappear inside and Veronica stands in the middle of the crowd, accepting compliments and small talk with smiles. She stops for a moment though, taking the moment in to watch people- like dolls. Leaning against the glass walls she breathes deeply, trying to understand all the undercurrents and hidden elements complicating matters.

 

 

 

“Penny for your thoughts, pretty lady?”

 

 

Veronica nearly jumps out of her skin she’s so shocked, lost in her own little world when she turns around and sees Reggie standing there. For a moment, she just laughs.

 

 

 

The thing is it’s never going to be the same for them. She looks at him- and he’s handsome, almost devilishly so, with sleek black hair and daring eyes so ready to take on anything and everything. But for him? She turns around and he’s stricken. To see Veronica Lodge in a fancy dress with her hair like an angel as _his_ date has been his dream for years- and the way their imbalance shows makes Veronica slightly distasted.

 

 

 

“V! This is quite the party, huh?” Cheryl calls out, getting Veronica and Reggie’s attention.

 

 

 

“It’s for _charity_ , Cheryl” Veronica patronises. Her eyes nearly bug out of her head when she looks at Cheryl’s dress. It looks like the girl took full advantage of being a black sheep at this event and wanted to put the attention on herself, wearing something much more ostentatious than any of the elegance sweeping around them.

 

 

 

Cheryl looks around and appears impressed. “Right right, charity.. whatever.”

 

 

 

Veronica raises her brows with a smile. She inclines her head towards the line of limousines and cars getting strewn at the entrance, and her heart nearly stutters.

 

 

 _Oh_. There they were. Equally tall and bright eyed Betty and Archie are making their way from his car. She has her hand on the skirt of her dress like she’s making sure of something on it, while Archie looks back to assure she’s okay before the two of them start walking up the steps. Her parents aren’t far behind, and seeing the picture of it all- as Archie’s eyes catch hers with an almost hypnotic crazy coincidence, is like rabidly twisting a knife into her heart.

 

 

“Look, it’s Barbie and Ken” Reggie announces to them like she hadn’t already noticed, earning a dark glare.

 

 

 

“Can you believe that bitch?” Cheryl says to Veronica, their shoulders touching. “She’s actually wearing _my_ ring.”

 

 

 

 

“Yeah” Veronica has a laugh in her voice. “With my boyfriend..”

 

 

 

Not realising her place, she glances back at Reggie- who is gazing at her with a sneaking suspicion and some kind of underlying anger when he spots the blonde damsel in the crowd too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_ 22nd May 2019_

 

 

 

 

 

“Everybody there knew Archie Andrews and Elizabeth Cooper coming together was wrong.” Cheryl Blossom states plainly. “It was like.. Angelina announcing she was pregnant with Brad after him being married to Jennifer for five years. I don’t know.”

 

 

 

 

Detective Robin looks Cheryl in the eye. “Okay. Do you know who might have disliked that more than anybody else?”

 

 

 

Her breath is shallow suddenly. She has clear flashes of everything she and Veronica had spat to each other in their moment of humane anger. _I might have.. said horrible things but I never wanted her dead. What about Veronica? No. Veronica could never do that to Betty- she’s practically her sister. Right?_ Her brain feels like tangled necklaces and bracelets at the bottom of a jewellery box and jumbled up.

 

 

 

“No.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              _Present Day_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of this is a bit beyond Betty’s preferred milieu, at least at the moment, but she tries to remain confident and move gracefully alongside Archie through the pathway of bamboo fire torches, smiling for the cameras without any betraying signs of pain. She notices the small smile of approval her mother gives as she watches Betty put her hand with the ring on her hip, being photographed at the wanted place.

 

 

 

 

She ignores the several clicks of cameras as Veronica and Reggie walk in after them, and FP Jones comes in trailing with Jughead a little behind The Lodges. But then Archie is gripping her hand to lead her across the impressive foyer and into the vast ballroom, eyes glancing over his shoulder to the raven haired princess every second.

 

 

 

There really is no party like the Lodge’s Charity Ball. The décor is beyond elegance, and everywhere Betty looks she catches herself in the dazzling display of jewels and couture and the strong aura of power and sophistication even from the youngest of attendees like herself. These kids are bred and built this way, with rock hard walls of defence. There are speeches droning on about Hiram Lodge and his good cause to the city. At first, everyone sits and listens; but then Veronica rises to her feet and joins her parents on stage for her father’s final speech.

 

 

 

 

 

“- I would finally like to give a special thanks to Harold and Alice Cooper, without which my wife and I wouldn’t have been able to be as successful as we were this year.” Hiram raises his glass in a toast. Both Alice and Hal clap, smiling fondly, but then Betty looks past them and she feels a sudden tightness in the pit of her stomach at the look on Veronica’s face. She doesn’t appear anywhere satisfied.

 

 

 

She turns and spots Cheryl, who has lost the cool poker face and stares disgustedly back at her. Hiram’s words only made everything worse. She glances at Jughead and Reggie, both on either sides of the hall, both with serious looks on their face- taking a sip of champagne. Even when she looks at Archie, and all five of them catch each other’s eyes at different parts of the room; he just sighs sadly. Every single way she looks feels haunted, and it _hits_. Like arrows on vulnerable flesh as the ridiculously loud classical music starts again.

 

 

 

“I have to take a minute” Betty says tightly, and Archie doesn’t want to make a scene, not here on this dazzling and important night, so he stays quiet and watches her disappear in long strides and her head held high.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretending has always been something that comes naturally to Veronica, she was born into it, trained for it, and even the fakest of moments appear like a whirl of happiness when she embraces it. Which is why she’s annoyed- when she and Reggie are being carefully introduced to some out of town guests by her parents- and he decides to pull her away into the dark shadows of the main room with a flattening expression.

 

 

 

 

“What is it?”

 

 

 

 

“Veronica enough already. Introducing me to all these people isn’t necessary. After all, you’ve already used me to fill your purpose right?”

 

 

 

She recognises that slight cynic tone. Veronica raises her eyebrows at him, smiling. “What? You can’t handle the third degree? I thought this is what you wanted, Reggie, and plus my parents have barely even got started.”

 

 

 

“I’m done with this” he takes a step back from Veronica. “You don’t fool me, god damn it. You knew that Betty and Archie were coming together, right? And you invited me to take a jab at him?”

 

 

 

She’s startled on the spot. Of course nothing would have come of this stupid date to her parents’ charity, but she’d never known Reggie would be any wiser. “Okay- so what? This is still what you want, isn’t it? To be my date? To be with me even for a night? You wanted your once in a lifetime chance and this is it. What does it even matter if he gets jealous too? We can go back inside and get something to drink and..”

 

 

Reggie shakes his head. “No, I don’t want to! _Fuck_ , Veronica, you’re right. I have wanted this for a long time. But I also never believed that you never consider _anybody’s_ feelings but your own- you try to go the end of the world to prove a point that you miss it completely!”

 

 

 

“Fine then!” Veronica almost shouts, her chest heaving as the night begins to feel like a hot mess- her plans are just exploding now. “You can kindly get the fuck out of here if it bothers you so much. You’re not needed anymore.” She crosses her arms and shakes her head in a flash before walking away, heels clicking quickly on the marble floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betty is still missing in action, and Archie takes a step into the quiet corner of the room for a brief moment alone when Veronica catches his attention yet again. He keeps finding her in the crowd, of course, almost like a second nature to him by now, and he doesn’t think anybody is oblivious to the captivating sight of her pretty smile as she floats around in her gorgeous dress talking to everyone but him, but as he stands in the shadows of the ballroom and sees her standing rigid across from Reggie Mantle she looks anything but happy.

 

 

 

If anything Veronica looks like she’s crumbling, her eyes wide and her chest heaving hard as she spits some words at an angry looking Reggie and rushes off into the same direction Betty did earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                _22nd May 2019_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica resists the urge to look away when Detective Robin is practically grilling her, she maintains eye contact, a skill that her father taught her to work out of any lie- it was more of a thing she only saw him do so many times.

 

 

 

“Betty and I have been friends since as long as I remember. We were.. always best friends. We have the same birthday and we grew closer as we got older but..”

 

 

 

Robin has her laptop- the video from their eighteenth birthday Veronica had made. It’s playing on a loop mocking every single word coming out of her mouth, almost making her feel sick.

 

 

 

“But?”

 

 

 

“We fought sometimes. Over stupid, mundane things. They were stupid.”

 

 

 

Robin looks Veronica in the eye. She feels plain and sunken-eyed without any makeup on, she knows she is. As colourless as Betty’s corpse is right now. “Were you in a fight the night she died?”

 

 

 

She shakes her head, but for the first time her eyes cast off sideways.

 

 

 

“Do you happen to remember the last thing.. that you and the victim talked about? The last time you had a conversation? Was it that night at the party?”

 

 

 

 

Veronica swallows. Her breath is thinning like the air is quickly escaping from these four walls. “Like I told you. We didn’t talk that night.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              _Present Day_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betty’s pride and will may be fading like fast dropping leaves in the fall, but she manages to move gracefully out of the ballroom like nothing untoward had ever happened. She locks herself inside the stall of one of their upstairs bathrooms, letting the tears fall with a heavy heart boring the imprint of a very big _mistake_ , she doesn’t know what to do anymore, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to go but forward- she wishes she could go back. If she could, she wouldn’t have caused the pain. She wouldn’t have.

 

 

 

She waits until the tears have dried before going out, but freezes in her spot when she sees Veronica standing at the bathroom sink- her face dark like an upturned storm.

 

 

 

 

“Oh, perfect” the dark haired girl’s voice is strident with disgust when she sees her.

 

 

 

 

“V.. are you okay?” Betty comes over cautiously, feeling like walking back to her happiness, a frown when she sees Veronica’s high strung eyes. There’s something wrong with her. She’s.. a little paler. Delirious looking. And not the _ethereal_ Veronica Lodge under these fluorescent bathroom lights. Suddenly it’s chillingly silent in here, despite the loud jazz music thudding outside the walls of the bathroom.

 

 

 

She reaches to remove a lock of dark hair, straying from her perfect curls and obstructing her face just a little, but Veronica recoils immediately.

 

 

“Don’t you fucking dare touch me.”

 

 

 

Betty pulls her hand back and stands docilely, palm on the cold marble sink. “Okay. I’m not going to try and apologise anymore Veronica” she says, her eyes low. “Because you have every right to be mad at me.”

 

 

Veronica pauses in the mirror, but her eyes never meet Betty’s.

 

 

 

“You know, I was thinking. No matter how we turn this, it never would have.. worked out right. But, I know that you and Archie.. you’re meant to be. That’s one thing I do know. And you guys will go to New Haven in a few months, you’ll find each other again, and when you come back home... well who knows. Maybe- _hopefully_ , in a few years we can all look back on this and laugh.”

 

 

 

“A few years?” Her voice sounds choked suddenly, like she might be crying or she might be laughing. Betty can’t figure it out. “That’s how long it’ll take to feel okay again?”

 

 

 

“I never meant to hurt you.” She whispers, voice like a feather, crawling off her skin, and in that moment she feels further away from Veronica than ever before.

 

 

 

Almost like they never shared wants and laughs, almost like they were strangers, almost like they weren’t _them_.

 

 

 

“I never meant to-“ her breath staggers. “But I don’t know how to make it stop. Just please- don’t take this out on Archie because he’s done _nothing_ but be as loyal as a dog”

 

 

 

Veronica’s face is a dull confusion, but she finally turns to face her, even just slightly.

 

 

 

“Yeah. Literally.”

 

 

 

Veronica looks back at the mirror. Her brown eyes are watering in the brightness, but the truth is she’s been crying since Betty walked in and started talking. She looks at the perfect reflection- the perfect face and dark mane of hair so many people have defined her as, but this time she sees something more. Now she sees someone that’s ugly, her entire little life of make believe perfection fleshing out in all it’s brutal, ugly places, the way her mother and father’s relationship is a lie and she feels like she’s a lie too, wonders if all of her has just been completely spewing Archie into a web of never ending twisted lies- she screams.

 

 

It’s short and pathetic sounding, but shrill nonetheless and has Betty’s heart racing-then she feels mad, and Betty is conflicted between rushing over to her but stays stuck to her spot, while black stained tears sweep down Veronica’s face and she crumples into the saddest looking masterpiece in all of the world.

 

 

She screams again, and then her hands fly to her face, hiding. _Everything has completely shattered down._

 

 

 

“Veronica what- what’s happening?”

 

 

 

 

“I fucked up.” She stares at her with haunted eyes. “He’s- he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me he’s the the best person that I _know_ , and I fucked him up. I completely fucked him up just like myself.”

 

 

 

“Veronica, calm down..” Betty’s voice croaks, and she reaches out again.

 

 

 

But Veronica is like a ticking time bomb and she’s one second closer from exploding, the only thing keeping her wound up her own pride and persistence. “No!” She snatches up her purse from the counter and is gone in a flash, cold as stone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They’re playing Betty’s most favourite song ever, _Forever Young_ , when she steps back into the ballroom. It nearly takes her breath away with it’s golden arched stairway and the glittery ceiling, she looks up at it like the stars. The music almost vibrates out of the floors beneath them and she flips her ponytail back as she takes a deep breath of champagne smelling air and drifts amongst the soulful beings pouring their hearts into a dance until she is too. She’s thinking she should come back here again next time with a camera to snap the decadent scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_forever young, I want to be forever young_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a few lone figures standing around with drinks, but she guesses the flavourful music has kept most people on the dance floor and for a moment Betty feels like she’s standing on the edge of the world. On the edge of her existence.

 

 

 

 _do you really want to live forever?_

 

 

 

 

The tears are stinging her eyes and making her feel regretful yet content, and she takes a deep breath and focuses on dancing again. _Just dance like nobody’s here, like it’s the last time you will, because you love it. You love to dance. And you love this song._ Everybody is dancing in pairs but she doesn’t mind being alone for once, moving slowly and absorbing herself in the flow of the music, pretending that instead of a stuffy society party she’s back in a club in Ibiza full of free spirits and strangers she never felt more familiar with. A lot of things start to come to terms with her; the fact that Veronica will hate her forever, how her entire life just changed so _suddenly_ after one letter and a haunted family past.

 

 

 

_forever, and ever._

 

 

 

 

 

The song ends with an inglorious numbness all over her,but Betty just keeps on dancing as she stares up at the glittery stars with a wide, childish smile on her face; pretending that it’s the wind that’s bringing tears to her eyes and not the fleeting feeling in her chest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As he sees Veronica storm out from a hallway, Archie rises to his feet. There’s a pot of nerves boiling over in his stomach which he washes over with another swig of champagne.

 

 

 

“Honey” Mary calls sweetly, brushing imaginary lint off Archie’s suit lapel. “Veronica’s right over there.”

 

 

 

“I’m going” he says, almost belligerently but starts moving towards her as she looks around, doubtfully, and then disappears back into the darkness of the hallway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hey” Archie calls out, her back facing him that slowly turns when she hears the familiar, yet she’s not sure if it’s a good kind of nostalgia or not- and suddenly it’s like all the air has been sucked out of the echoey stairwell they’re secluded in.

 

 

 

“What do you think you’re doing here- did you follow me?”

 

 

 

“Me? What are _you_ doing here?”

 

 

 

She ignores him, of course, and heads towards the door. But then he grabs her hand, not hard enough to elicit any pain, but she can’t stop the gasp of shock that escapes her lips.

 

 

 

“What do you think you’re doing?!” She snaps.

 

 

 

“Why can’t we talk, Veronica?” He says shallowly.

 

 

 

“Oh, I don’t know” she fakes shrug. “Maybe because you broke up with me and brought _my_ friend to _my_ party”

 

 

 

“Look I understand that it isn’t the best m-moment for this” his voice goes a little higher as she knows she’s got him again. “But I need you to understand- it doesn’t even mean anything.”

 

 

 

She just crosses her arms and stares at him, finding it hard to see wether she’d just been naive about him all along.

 

 

 

“And okay-“ he nods, staggeringly. “I probably shouldn’t have come with her-“

 

 

 

“ _Probably_?!” She shouts, snatching her hand out of his and making the background music fade for just a second.

 

 

 

“Okay definitely” he realises how bad it looks. “But like I said, it doesn’t mean anything”

 

 

 

She exhales from her nose, teeth grinding together to stop herself from _crying_. “And what about the kiss? Did that mean nothing either? What about the letter the _stupid_ year I was gone what about the lies you told me to go and “ _hang out_ ” with her what about the looks and the words and what about the fact that you left behind _everything_ we had for _her_!”

 

 

 

 

Archie wants to stop her, his breathing going faster every time her voice raises up another notch with the _broken_ , raspy tone no one else has ever heard- but it’s too late. “I- of course not.”

 

 

 

“No. It _always_ means something. It always has” she says as her pale knuckles grip the champagne flute in her hand even tighter. “And my _perfect boyfriend_ has been backstabbing me only right in front of my fucking face”

 

 

 

“I don’t do that.” He defends. “I’m sorry. A-and you did the same thing too, alright? You came here with.. with Reggie.”

 

 

 

“ _What_?” Her voice is suddenly even sharper, as is her stance.

 

 

 

Seeing how clearly different it is, Archie almost cowers. He can practically see the fumes building inside her. “O-okay. Okay that’s different.”

 

 

 

“Are you seriously going to make that comparison right now?!” She yells. “When I’ve done nothing but actually believe that we were completely loyal to each other and that we- that we were actually in _love_ the whole time it was just a lie! You’re just a liar!”

 

 

 

 

“We _were_ in love!” Archie’s voice almost drowns hers out. “But ever since you came back all you cared about was competing with her and making me feel like a complete idiot just like a pawn in one of your games!”

 

 

 

“Me?” Veronica is baffled. “You broke up with _me_ and it’s _my_ fault? You _started_ this!”

 

 

 

 

“I didn’t do anything!”

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh, of course not” Veronica smirks mockingly. “Perfect, good, heart of gold Archie never does anything wrong!”

 

 

 

 

“That is not what I fucking said.”

 

 

 

“And poor little Archie has to put up with his crazy _bitch_ of a girlfriend.” Even Veronica can hear the strains in her own voice, she’s sure anyone outside would be able to.

 

 

 

“ _I never said any of that!”_

 

 

 

“You might as well have!” Veronica throws her champagne glass at the door, narrowly missing Archie and starting him when it shatters like their entire built-up relationship on the ground right in front of them.

 

 

He wants to speak, yell or move or _something_ , but the words are clogged up in his throat as he’s frozen to the spot in half and half of fear and rage.

 

 

 

“I’m sick of it! I’m sick of looking like the bad guy when I gave every _possible_ part of me to you only for you to just throw everything away!”

 

 

 

“You think you’re the only one, huh? I’m sick of you and our stupid friends and our _stupid parents_ looking down on me. Like I’m your little pet-“

 

 

 

“Since when do we care what anybody else thinks?” Her voice is suddenly soft again, going out where her tears can’t bear to show themselves. “We make each other happy. And fuck everyone else. That was what _we had.”_

 

 

 

“When are you going to fucking realise it Veronica?” Archie doesn’t back down. “We care. We care what everyone thinks and we’re _exactly_ like our parents- like everybody else. Did we really think we had a chance at being any different?”

 

 

 

“Not when we had each other.” She whispers simply. “But after knowing what I know now it’s getting hard to see when I actually even had you.”

 

 

 

“You do have me! You always have!” Archie shouts suddenly, making Veronica flinch. It’s weird for him to contradict what they’ve been telling each other for all these years. Almost like it’s too.. too real.

 

 

 

“ _You left me!_ ” She retorts. Her voice bounces off the walls of the stairwell. “You broke up with me when I was perfectly prepared and more than willing to spend the rest of the god forsaken life that’s been planned for us with you! Because I was head over heels, blindly in love with you but you left me in the middle of a birthday party at five in the morning so here I am- trying to pick up the pieces of my life that I wasn’t ready to go through all alone.” Her voice is getting breathless, and Archie gets the impression from that and the tears prickling her eyes that she’s worn out.

 

 

At this point, everything is coming up like word vomit, all the months of silent wondering, the weeks that followed of bottled up emotions and stolen glances; the sleepless nights, the blaming themselves then blaming each other and never speaking and drinking everything away- now neither Veronica nor Archie can stop themselves even if they want to. And they didn’t.

 

 

 

“You really think you’re alone in that?” Archie sounds insanely desperate now, even more than he is angry anymore. “I don’t do anything without thinking of how it’d suit you first! My entire future is planned out to be next to you but the only reason I had to let you go was because I felt like _you_ didn’t care anymore that- that we weren’t going to be good anymore.”

 

 

 

 

“Of course I care!” Veronica sounds stronger now, gaining her composure again. “I care- I love you more than _anything_ and I was _ready_ Archie. For our dreams, all our plans, everything you ever promised me but- but that’s gone now right?”

 

 

 

 

“No- it isn’t. We’re us we’re _Veronica &Archie_! We’re Archie&Veronica.” He says, and she doesn’t miss the little catch in his voice. “We’ll always be that. Just like you said.. remember everything we wanted? You can’t... possibly believe that’s just going to all go away right?”

 

 

 

 

Tears are freely streaming down her face now. She’s having a hard time swallowing the air in her throat before she speaks. “It’s already gone.” She tells him.

 

 

 

He’s on his last straw, and nothing seems like it will be able to fix them. Maybe this time, they have finally run out of good luck. “I love you, Veronica... I don’t know what else to say.”

 

 

 

She looks more wounded than he’s ever known. “If you really do then prove it.” She’s trying to sound stern, because she _knows_ , with this ultimatum Archie will never be able to do it. And then he’ll finally back off. He’ll finally be free of her, free of them- as she still sees it the same way, _I fucked him up._ “I don’t care how much you say it. If you can find some way to prove that you love me before tomorrow, we’ll see things through. Otherwise- we’re over. For good.”

 

 

 

She walks around him and pushes the door of the fire stair well open and slips back into the hallway, as he slouches against the cold wall. He closes his eyes and rests his face on his knees, not fully able to think. His body is shivering from the fading adrenaline and the pain is reawakening in his chest, but he still loves her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Betty’s haste of movement, she’s spinning so fast; she swears she sees her whole life flash in front of her- it _could_ be the alcohol too, but her mind suddenly flickers to ridiculous things as her eyes shut close and she’s drowning to another void of time and place. A crushing hug with Polly on the last day she ever saw her. Tasting romance on her lips kissing Jughead in that hotel room in Ibiza. Doing summersaults on the football field with her squad as the crowd roars. Veronica, taking her hand as they disappear into the night on one of their thrill games.

 

 

 

Tripping on her heel, she crashes into someone and her eyes fly open, almost falling down.

 

 

At this point, Betty just laughs. It feels like things are getting increasingly light in the air. The nameless guy she’s bumped into reaches for her hand and pulls her on her feet. “I’m so so sorry Betty”

 

 

She brushes her dress off once, suddenly catching sight of someone over the gentleman’s shoulder that shifts her whole perspective. “It’s fine. I’m fine, please excuse me.”

 

 

 

When Betty turns on her heel to head to the coatcheck for her phone, she stops short- hearing two feminine voices ahead of her, not trying to be subtle in their argument in the slightest.

 

 

 

“ _Wait- Reggie just left?_ ”

 

 

 

“ _Yes. I don’t know. Like thirty minutes ago. No, I don’t know..”_

 

 

 

 

She recognises them. It’s Veronica and Cheryl, standing by the entrance with their arms crossed facing each other. Betty rests her forehead on the cool surface of a wall that’s separating them, hiding her, and just hearing the voices of both girls squabbling brings back so many memories for a moment she wishes she could melt into the shadows and disappear.

 

 

 

“ _I’m just worried, that’s all.”_

 

 

 

“ _You wanna go after him then fine Cher- but I’ll be damned if I’m chasing him down after that bullshit he spewed- hey, take your coat you’re gonna freeze to death!_ ”

 

 

 

She rounds the corner in time to see Cheryl strutting down the front steps and into the great big night, her luscious red hair bouncing behind her grandly. Betty gets a glance at Veronica too- but then she quickly slips into the coatcheck and is being handed her baby blue button down with assistance.

 

 

 

“Thanks” Before leaving the party, Betty pulls all her hair out of its ponytail and tries her best to hide behind the high collar of her coat, concealing herself.

 

 

 

 

It’s four minutes past eleven when she leaves.

 

 

 

The hidden alleyway behind the civic centre is dark, cold and empty. She scrolls through her phone contacts with a gulp in her throat, a glance over her shoulder every time the wind blows a tree a certain noisy way. _now or never, she tells herself._

 

 

 

“Jughead.. I’m sorry but I have to talk to you.. I know I messed up but I think you’re the only person who I haven’t completely fucked over right now. And if you could meet me” she swallows. Counting down the seconds before the voice message will beep. “I know that we can work this out.. please just meet me at the viewing area lake. I can’t have you hating me forever.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s nobody around when Archie leaves the building too, not that he notices, because the only thing stuck on his ears are the sharp words Veronica had said. Monstrous and beautiful, he feels another one of the panic attacks rising in his chest every time he unconsciously replays it again and again. And again. And again. Every time, it’s her voice, then there’s the pitying looks from his parents and friends, the scorching heat of anger from his _own_ mind, and he’s telling the cab driver to step on it feeling nothing but a burning desperation and overwhelming impulse.

 

 

 

 

 

_Betty? Where are you?_

 

 

 

Archie sends the text and then sits there, in Tom’s garage, weighing up all the ways this could play out until his phone chimes again and it’s just the person he wants to hear from.

 

 

 

_viewing area lake. I needed to think. Can u come pick me up? Sorry._

 

 

 

By the time Archie’s back out of the house, a heaviness in his pocket, he’s wondering for the thousandth time if he’s being ridiculous. Or stupid. He could throw it all away. _He_ could make that decision. But lose this; a perfect home at college where he’ll be supported and successful, his mother and Tom’s little good faith left, Hiram and Hermione Lodge’s respect for all that he’ll tarnish by breaking their daughter’s heart, and with that- Cheryl, Reggie, Josie. He never even gave a shit about them or their company. But he does. He’ll lose his last chance and he’ll lose that safe place, that only place, but most important of all; he’ll lose Veronica.

 

 

 

Archie can’t lose Veronica. He just can’t.

 

 

 

The garage had been dark and he’d used his phone flashlight to find what he wanted. He’d tried to ignore the nerves. He’d only seen red, only been frantic, drunk, haunted with a pierced soul.

 

 

 

He feels the heaviness in his pocket like it weighs a thousand pounds. To anyone on the outside, there he was; just another rich boy with a stuck up attitude, another fucking snob. Archie can’t pinpoint the exact moment his heart started racing, but now it’s beating so fast he can’t _control_ it. His thumb shivers in anticipation, forefinger tracing over the steel object in his pocket like the most precious thing he’s ever beheld. And he’s terrified, like he has felt for most of his life.

 

He tries to not think about it. Deep breaths, count to ten. Who taught him that? Veronica, of course. The only person who’s ever been there. Every panic attack. Every sleepless night. Every lonely dawn and every crippling dark dusk. And now, he’s lost her.

 

“Are you okay, son?” The cab driver ahead of him sounds.

 

Archie snaps his eyes up and meet’s the driver’s in the mirror. “Yes.” He slowly mumbles, not sure if he can hear because Archie can barely hear himself. If he knew who Archie was, or rather, what he would become, the pale old man would’ve never let him get off his taxi that rainy Saturday night on the corner of Madison and 52nd. But he staggers out and immediately feels the ground beneath him start to shake.

 

Nothing is steady anymore. He remembers all the voices in his head, always been sentimental, and every moment of the past months having gone unnoticed before it all comes down on him in a dizzying clarity. He ventures into the park and there’s birds singing when his heart is breaking, he’s high _enough_ without any drug. It’s the strangest feeling- the juxtaposition between being too high and too low, terrified and also beating with a newfound courage, paralysed to his spot while he feels like he’s running a hundred miles an hour. The last trace of liquor on his lips and an unwavering thudding in his heart.

 

When Archie looks in the glistening river, he doesn’t know what to see. He used to be as pure as it once, but now Archie feels possessed. _Archie Andrews. The Golden Boy. The Nice Guy. The Perfect Boyfriend. The Goodhearted-_

_Archie Andrews. Betrayer. Heart breaker. Pain._

 

 

He doesn’t know who the hell he is. Never has, but especially not now. Never has. Never has. Never knew who the hell he was.

 

 

All he knows is the hurt in her eyes, penetrating deep in his soul and rocking the entire world like everything she ever does. He knows that she’s broken and angry and she’ll blame herself. Archie can’t let that happen. Veronica’s never done anything wrong. All she ever did was love him, and then Archie just feels angry. He’s angry at the missing pieces of his life and the voids that were left unfilled by never present parents, the big cold empty house and no one caring, the doors that were slammed in his face when they didn’t want to look at him anymore- he’s angry at himself for being so stupid and being angry enough to leave her but loving her anyway. For the kisses that left marks deeper than just the skin, words that hurt harder than a hot white knife, for every time she told him _fuck everyone else._ For every time they ran away together and then he felt peace, even in the chaos and the violence living in them. He knows how her hands feel in his hair, he knows how she studies the topic before they learn it so that she’ll be ahead of everyone else. He knows things about her no one else does. He knows her screams and shouts when they’re fighting, and she’s haunting him but he doesn’t mind it. He knows how she cries, in front of no one else but him, he knows her darkest secrets and her simple dreams and he knows her troubled heart, her miserable soul, he knows that her tears are black. Like a dripping masterpiece down her caramel skin. He knows now that he was the colour in her life and she put assurance in his, that it wasn’t her who was crazy, and that he loves her in the kind of way that he would do _anything for her._

 

 

“Betty?”

 

 

He loves her, and that’s all Archie really knows.

 

“Archie” her eyes light up like the moon, green and hypnotising and enough to get lost in. Half of her face is lit by the moonlight, her long hair dropping across one shoulder. “You came”

 

He’s feeling every single thing at once right now. Fingertips ghosting the trigger again- he takes a step forward. If it’s for _her, though_ , Archie doubts he will feel anything at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

Flashes. That’s how everyone can describe what happened. Flashes. Of colour, the cherry red sirens on the top of police cars and dark blue police suits. Of sound, the shrill telephone ringing unheard in a loud party and an even more bone chilling scream when Alice Cooper is informed that _there’s been an incident._ Of feelings, a borne fear and thudding panic. That’s how they can describe it. _It all happened in flashes_. Gucci trampled over Versace to see the crime. Nothing else mattered. Every bright light, every high and mighty thing that lives dimmed in comparison to what just happened.

 

 

 

 

 

A girl. Gone.

 

 

 

 

And it just happened so fast. Like flashes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hal Cooper is shouting at the police, while Alice cries in the waiting room in arms of the closest thing to her daughter. He’s shouting because he’s furious. None of them in the waiting room really know if he’s angry with the culprit, angry with the police, angry with the people who found Betty’s body, or angry with Betty herself. Maybe all four. But they’re all hammered down by his voice, evidently drunk and not making a nightmare situation any better.

 

 

 

A deputy approaches the lineup of people waiting- all of them torn up, all in clean clothing that hides any trace of the wood tracks or any smeared bloodstains. He stands on the opposite side of Veronica and Mrs Cooper, who’s still wailing and reliving her daughter’s _fight_ , and Veronica doesn’t realise in her numb state that that he’s staring at them until he clears his throat.

 

 

 

“Detective Robin would like to see Veronica Lodge now.”

 

 

 

Alice whimpers and lets go of her, while Veronica runs a hand through her dark locks, making eye contact with Mary Andrews in the other corner of the room. The both of them stand up, and Veronica lifts her arms above her head to stretch because she’d been holding Mrs Cooper for so long.

 

 

 

“Thank you so much, Mary” Hermione places a hand on her shoulder in passing.

 

 

 

“We have good kids. And this is what best friend are for” Mary smiles back softly, checking the time on her watch.

 

 

As Veronica walks in, Hermione grabs her hand and pulls her in to kiss her cheek. “It’s okay baby girl.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There’s been a word going around that Miss Lodge has been the culprit behind this whole fiasco” Detective Robin starts. “Now I may take everybody’s word into consideration, but I also know that _everybody_ is a little skittish, minds go to crazy places, so I need you recount the details of what happened tonight- from your point of view.”

 

 

 

 

“Who’s making these allegations?” Mary cuts through, before Veronica can start her story.

 

 

 

Detective Robin shakes her head. “We aren’t bringing any at-“

 

 

 

“It was Valerie Brown. Either her or Melody.” Veronica says. “She’s the one who would think that.” The two pussycats are the only ones who intimately knew what kind of deviousness Veronica could get up to in private, after the little stunt she and Betty pulled earlier in the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detective Robin nods. “What happened after you heard Elizabeth Cooper and Veronica Lodge in the bathroom?”

 

 

 

 

“Nothing much. I kept thinking they were both crazy, but then I started dancing with people and I forgot about it.” Valerie’s face is taut. She can’t remember a time when this interview wasn’t happening.

 

 

 

 _the chocked up one_. Robin notes.

 

 

 

 

“Were you drinking?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I was just.. having fun. Talking. Dancing. And the next thing I know Veronica snapped at me and told me to get lost. I left the party then.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Where did you go?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reggie’s attorney grabs his knee to keep him in check. He only glares at him through hooded eyes, because he has _nothing_ to lie about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I ran into my ex-girlfriend, Veronica Lodge. We got into a bit of an argument.”

 

 

 

 

Robin leans forward. Archie thinks about the flicker of the pale white light and the clammy feeling inside his otherwise extremely dry throat. “About what?”

 

 

 

“That’s none of your concern” his lawyer pipes up. “And it’s irrelevant. Keep talking, Archibald.”

 

 

 

Trying to keep the warmth in the whole of his body, Archie pulls his dark red sweater lower around his arms. “We just got into an argument. And then I went back into the party.”

 

 

 

Detective Robin raises her eyebrows. “You didn’t do anything else?”

 

 

 

His lawyer notices her suspicion and is quick to jump to Archie’s defence. “What are you insinuating?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“According to someone else, a _witness_ , Miss Lodge is leaving something out.”

 

 

 

Veronica rolls her eyes. She tries to look angry instead of annoyed, and definitely not scared. “What am I leaving out? Did I forget to mention my third trip to the sushi bar or something like that?”

 

 

 

Mary squeezes Veronica’s knee tight. Her eyes snap to the younger girl’s, who is glowering darkly.

 

 

 

“Are you sure you didn’t exchange.. any words with the victim tonight?”

 

 

 

 

Veronica shrugs. “Is it really that imperative?”

 

 

 

 

“Miss Lodge where exactly did you learn to answer questions with questions?”

 

 

 

 

She bites the inside of her cheek. Be aloof, not rude. You’re a good girl. But she keeps her eyes focused straight ahead, afraid to look at Mary, afraid of her being smart enough or have known her well enough to catch her in a lie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“This one” Any lightheartedness in Robin’s voice vanishes as she taps the glass screen looking into the interrogation room. The dark haired girl looks up, with even darker eyes. Her coldness is almost brilliance. “This is the one we have to watch for.”

 

 

 

“Veronica Lodge” the deputy frowned. “We checked the security cameras. No footage of her leaving- and many of them did, no trails incriminating evidence and she has a pretty zip tight story. She wasn’t drunk..”

 

 

“This won’t be that easy” Robin prompts. “These kids are as stuffed as their parents- with the best damn lawyers in the city to match.”

 

 

 

“So why the girl?” He asks.

 

 

 

“She didn’t kill her.”

 

 

 

The certainty in Robin’s voice makes the deputy sit up and pay attention.

 

 

 

“Notice how every one of them. The jealous Blossom who lost her inheritance, the angry pursuer who left early, her broken ex boyfriend, the outsider whom Elizabeth called before she left- all of their stories include one name. Veronica Lodge. She might not have been the one who pulled the trigger but she could very well be the master mind behind this whole thing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica mentally curses. She knows that she has no need for an alibi. But the detective keeps looking at her with probing eyes, and it’s making her feel like the walls are closing in on something she didn’t do.

 

 

 

“Tell us again Miss Lodge. The whole truth.”

 

 

 

 

 

            _two hours earlier_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are four trees somehow perfectly surrounding them, surrounding Betty, who’s still standing with her back turned, a cigarette bud between her lips. At last she turns around, and Archie lets the hand on the trigger fall limp next to him. It’s redundant.

 

 

 

“We’re going to talk to Veronica, Betty. Let’s go” he says.

 

 

 

“Excuse me?” Betty throws her cigarette on the ground and rubs her heel in it.

 

 

 

It’s all strangely calm yet tense as Archie tries to even his breathing and Betty stares at him confusedly. She keeps looking at her former best friend’s constipated expression for a long moment until Archie starts walking towards her. “I said we’re going to talk to Veronica. You’re going to talk to her and convince her that nothing ever happened between you and I.”

 

 

 

Betty takes a step back, but Archie is stalking towards her, heavy feet on the damp ground, and fear fizzes in her head.

 

 

 

“I said let’s go!”

 

 

 

“No! Nothing happened between us and she knows it!”

 

 

 

“Fuck Betty just listen to me please!”

 

 

 

Betty takes another step backwards and pushes Archie off of her, almost falling over a clump of earth.

 

 

 

 _Shit, shit, shit,_ he thinks. The time is passing. _Shit shit shit._

 

 

 

“What the fuck do you think you’re trying to do?” Betty says through suddenly thinned lips.

 

 

 

“You’re the reason I lost Veronica, Betty!” His voice turns into a snarl, and as his shoulders hunch and he coils to reach her again, Betty sees him like an animal, completely feral and uncontrolled, only one thing on his mind. To kill.

 

 

 

 

“What the fuck? The only reason you lost her is because she’s crazy!” Betty shouts, loudly, not giving into how scared she feels.

 

 

 

 

 

“Don’t you dare talk about her like that”

 

 

 

He’d tried to sound convincing but even Betty knew it, as well as he does.

 

 

“You’re really more pathetic than I thought” Betty laughs, stumbling backward and sighing. “God you don’t even know who you are Archie. She’s fucked up but you would rather cower behind her than stand up and be your own person, right? That’s how pathetic you are-“

 

 

 

“Stop fucking laughing, Betty- do you know what the fuck you are?” Archie tries to push her backwards, but Betty is all sinewy strength, strong arms holding him away. “A fucking failure, Betty” Archie says to her face as they struggle. “You fucking nobody failure! You ruined everything! Listen to me!”

 

 

 

 

“Isn’t that exactly what you’re so afraid of?” Betty says, finally finding her own rage and pushing him off again. “Not being with her and becoming a failure? She doesn’t give a fuck about you Archie-“

 

 

 

“Don’t try and fuck with me Betty”

 

 

 

“And she’s never going to love you either” Betty barks out a harsh, unpleasant laugh, and shoves him again. “You know why? Because Veronica doesn’t care about anybody but herself-“

 

 

 

“That’s not true and you don’t know her!” He puts both hands on her shoulders trying to stop something- but Betty is squirming and struggling and she’s completely out of control.

 

 

 

“-The only person she cares about is herself! That selfish fuck!” Her hand cracks across his face, not hard enough to push him all the way off.

 

 

 

“Shut up Betty!”

 

 

 

“No just fuck off!” She grabs his arms and shoves. Archie doesn’t have time to hold on. The world spins as he loses his footing and ends up on the ground.

 

 

 

 

Both of them stop yelling. It’s just heavy breaths, and even from a low angle, Archie can see something like hurt on Betty’s face. Hurt and maybe anger. A lot of disgust. For a fraction of a second, Betty looks truly broken. Moonlight cut pale across her face, highlighting the dips in her cheeks, and her eyes shine from deep black circles. Even her hair, the perfect girly golden-blonde, appears pale white in the night. She looks like visual representation of someone dead on the inside- and maybe that’s who Betty is. The real Betty. The equally as fucked up crazy one.

 

 

 

 

“So this is really how this ends” Betty spits disbelievingly, turning her back on him again.

 

 

 

Archie clammers, in a fit of rage, reaches into his pocket and stands back on both feet. “No. This is.”

 

 

 

Betty screams.

 

 

 

The gunshot cracks twice. Echoes deafeningly in the secluded park, and he sees her heels stagger before dropping like a fallen tree, clutching her head. It’s the last Archie sees of Betty. That sudden panic. The shock. The fear. The blood gushing out forming a pool around her head, matching the dreamy sound of the ebbing waters as she slowly fades into death. Then she falls lose and her arm drops, lifeless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And all the wars in Archie’s head quiet down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

until he sees something glimmering on Betty’s finger. The red of the heirloom ring.

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archie immediately goes back to the building. He knows how to get in where no one can see him, but the low thudding music is reawakening him in a way that makes him overflow with guilt- but it just so happens that there’s one person sitting in the stairwell and Archie stops dead.

 

 

 

 

Veronica, who’d previously been despondent only looked up and just from his appearance; she feels her throat immediately tighten.

 

 

 

In an instant she picks her head up and it’s like she’s gone out of her mind.

 

 

 

She sees blood spattered on his face and coat. His right hand disappearing into his pocket, her eyes grow wide as saucers and she represses a shudder.

 

 

 

 

And he has that look in his eyes. Like the whole world is going sideways.

 

 

 

“Archie.. what have you done?”

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know- we were fighting. She texted me to pick her up somewhere and I brought a gun. But we were fighting- I don’t know” his voice is flat.

 

 

 

 

Archie hands her the ruby red ring. She looks at him, then looks at it. Veronica can just imagine what happened. It’s coming to her slow, like a deadweight, but it does. And she tries her best not to hyperventilate no matter what.

 

 

 

“Archie did anybody see you like this? Was there anybody else there? Archie did anybody see you like this?!”

 

 

 

“N-no. I don’t think so” he mutters.

 

 

 

Veronica flies off the step she’s sitting on to be by his side, heedless of care in her movement. “Archie” she takes his face in her hands and he falls down into them, completely collapsing to surrender in her arms. She sees the ripple go through his body as he becomes aware of what he did, and he turns his head into the crook of her arm and sniffs. With a choked, tearful sob, knowing that there’s no turning back, Archie can only cry the last of himself and cling onto her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Come on” Veronica pants with a breathless sigh. “Show me where it was. Hurry Archie.”

 

 

 

Archie sniffles, and holds his head unsteadily. “Veronica, this isn’t going to work, stop..” but he keeps walking and Veronica follows him, shivering in her thin dress and trying her best to not fall, down the pathway of trees that run along the lake, taking her to the middle where she can see blood stains.

 

 

 

It’s seeping into the ground and spattered onto stones. But the actual body, her body.. smells so pungently of the copper red liquid, and Veronica has to block out all of her senses for a second as her eyes become blinded by the scene and her heart breaks into rapid shock.

 

 

 

She looks at Archie, and then back at the long limp limbs that she can’t believe for the life of her is her best friend.

 

 

 

“It’s not going to work Ronnie it’s not going to w-work” Archie is pacing aggressively while Veronica stands scarily still.

 

 

 

She can’t help glaring at him. “Just shut up and let me save your skin.”

 

 

 

Furious, not quite sure where all her rage is meant to be, Veronica drags herself closer to the body, assessing the mess Archie had made with an everlasting lump in her throat. It’s obvious she was shot, she thinks reluctantly. “We need to get rid of the body.”

 

 

 

Archie nods at her. “H-here’s the gloves.”

 

 

Fighting back an utmost disgusting revulsion she forces her hand into the latex gloves and finds the strength to touch Betty, right on her back and giving it a hard push. “How do we get rid of all this blood?”

 

 

 

“The storm.” Archie says, although he isn’t confident. He has no idea how Veronica is doing this. How her, with her hands that have never gotten dirty- her class and ladylikeness is squatting on the ground and attempting without second thought to clean up his mess.

 

 

 

“Find her phone” Veronica says cautiously, her breath thinning faster than she’s ever experienced.

 

 

 

Archie reaches into the pocket of her dress and produces it, gripping the device tightly. “I got it.”

 

 

 

“Okay. But we need to push it- push her in. Help me!” She’s clamping down on her emotions and is feeling as cold and hard as a statue as she drags Betty’s pale hands, the chipped black nail polish hidden under scarlet, until she hangs half off the bank. Then, slowly, almost hesitantly, she leans across her body and stares at her now purplish eyelids. She could never explain it, but in that moment instead of pushing her all the way in she’s caught in a lockdown of lifetime memories. Two little girls in white running down Central Park with their nannies trailing behind, talking about how they were going to become princesses in a castle one day. Five summers on her family’s yacht, getting into silly trouble and endless conversations on hammocks staring at the stars above them. I think I have a crush on Archie Andrews, she had said once. And she’s asking herself _who knew this is where they would end up?_

 

 

 

“Veronica! Time’s almost up”

 

 

 

She locks her latex covered fingers into Betty’s one last time before slowly pushing her off completely.

 

 

 

“Where is the gun?” She turns to Archie. “Have you gotten rid of it like I asked?”

 

 

 

“Yes. I threw it in” Archie says flatly. “What do we do about the gloves?”

 

 

 

Veronica’s face stays frozen. “We burn them. Get me the lighter.”

 

 

 

The two of them hurry to rid themselves of the latex gloves, they toss in Betty’s phone, and Veronica sets the pile ablaze. Watching the flames burn bright, quickly disappearing as rain begins to fall, and the two of them start to run from the scene they had just set. Or vanished.

 

 

 

“11.16” Archie says succinctly. “We have fourteen minutes before anybody realises.”

 

 

 

Veronica grits her teeth as a wave of disgust and self loathing floods her. “Listen to me Archie. Delete the messages you and Betty sent- delete everything from tonight. You and I had an argument tonight. We’re going to get questioned, and you tell them the whole truth until the part where we argued. Tell them we argued. Tell them you went back to the party. Tell them you were sad and you hated me for breaking up with you that you wanted nothing to do with me. Now we go back in through the fire stairwell and go straight to your parents. Pretend nothing happened. You’d been in the party since after we argued and you never left.”

 

 

 

Archie looks like he’s faltering, but Veronica reaches out towards him in a second, her face strained. “Hear me, Archie? You never left. You never left. You had no idea where Betty was. Say it!”

 

 

 

 

“I got into an argument with my ex girlfriend. And then I went back to the party. I was upset, I wasn’t thinking about where Betty was... until they said something terrible happened.” Archie tells Veronica quietly, albeit without any tremors in his voice.

 

 

 

She’s holding his arm and begins to lead him back through the hallway before the ballroom. With her self control stretching to a breaking point, she lets go of his hand before she snaps. “You go inside. I have one more thing to do. Give me the ring.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one is at the entrance as Veronica slips into the coatcheck. In the middle of the stuffy, hot room she averts herself from everything that’s happened and searches for Cheryl’s shiny red coat. She holds the ruby ring in her glove-clad hand, and places it into one of the buttoned pockets, face blank and thoughts in turmoil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the initial heartbreak and chaos at the party dissipates, it quickly translates itself into anger and hankering, relentless pain, all the overwhelming emotions of the night pushing into mind and making hearts pound.

 

 

 

Detective Robin nods slowly after hearing Jughead’s story, and gives a haunted smile for the broken boy. “What about Veronica Lodge? Cheryl Blossom? Did these people ever exhibit.. questionable behaviour around the victim. Maybe they had some kind of bad blood?”

 

 

 

There are tears in Jughead’s eyes as he looks away. He wonders dully what any of this even means- he’s seen so many crime movies and read too many novels on interrogation- but in that moment he can’t seem to function properly. “Veronica? She loved Betty.. very much..” he stops short remembering what kind of tryst the two girls had bore recently, but no. “No matter what. She would never..”

 

 

 

“Are you sure Mister Jones?”

 

 

 

 

“Yes. Veronica’s... weird. B-but she would never do that she isn’t a violent person.”

 

 

 

For a moment the detective looks like she might have more questions, but the weight of what she has asked is already unbearable and she lets Jughead go before seeing the next person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a tiny exhalation of breath he slumps against the wall outside the New York City Police Department and slides down until he’s huddled on the ground.

 

 

 

“Jug?” Archie crouches beside him, his fingers pulling nervously, and his face taut with concern. “What.. what are you doing out here?”

 

 

 

He curls even tighter into a ball on the concrete ground of the police station, his arms wrapped around his head tangling in his hair as he fights back the wave of hysterical cries and agonised howling that threaten to overwhelm him.

 

 

 

“Jug..” Archie sits down on the floor beside him and he’s unsure what to do- feeling like the biggest monster. I did this. I did this to my friend.

 

 

 

The threads of control are fraying and Jughead finds himself whimpering wordlessly into his own lap. He closes his eyes tight, and feels the shivering begin to ease. “What happened Archie” he chokes out “what happened to Betty?”

 

 

 

“What?” He asks immediately, panic rising in his throat.

 

 

 

“I got a message from her” Jughead says quietly. “If I hadn’t been fucking angry at her for nothing, if I had gone to the lake and met her when she asked- she wouldn’t be dead. I could have done something and I didn’t!”

 

 

 

“I’m sorry” Archie says in a low voice, mindless tears of his own finding their trail down his skin. Jughead had never spoke about Betty like this, never admitted any true feeling or concern. Archie wonders how much more he didn’t know about his friends.

 

 

 

“I loved her” Jughead sits up suddenly, his blue eyes piercing into Archie’s with a pulsing truth. we would have worked together. “I loved her and she’s dead! She’s _dead_. She’s not coming back..” So fast Archie barely registers it he curls back up and is rocking back and forth, choked sobs coming out so uncharacteristically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That night of utter tragedy, Archie and Veronica find themselves together by the long winded end of it. He tells his mother that he’s going to bed and Veronica leaves door to the servants quarters unlocked for him; she tells him it’s too risky to go through the front door in any circumstances in case Robin might be checking in on them, and they lay on her bed unmoving. “When Robin questions everyone.. when she hears the whole story she’ll know it was me. She’ll know what happened. They’re going to catch me and- fuck we never should have told them we argued, we fucked up.”

 

 

 

“Calm down, Archie. We’ll think of something. I know what we did- and if they find some way to twist that story around we can think of a thousand things to say more. But I am not going to let anything bad happen to you. I-I can’t.”

 

 

 

“I still killed her, Ronnie” he tells her quietly, reaching for her hand on the bed. “I didn’t mean to- I mean maybe I did, for a second but-but it was a mistake. But I killed her.” He whispers. “Maybe I should pay for it.”

 

 

 

“Don’t be stupid” Veronica says, and she wraps her arm around his shoulders, soft hands running over his skin. The air is rigid and it feels almost empty outside of them. “You have to keep a cool head. And just listen to me. You and I, fighting? That’s going to work in our favour. As far as Robin knows I was jealous of Betty and she had you, so see? You had no reason to kill her. We hated each other. Do you get it? You had no motive. No one will think it was you. Okay?”

 

 

 

Archie nods, tense. She strokes his cheek and kisses it, tenderly, and he kisses her back. Another kiss, this time closer to her lips. And suddenlywhat happens next slips out of Archie’s control; he kisses her, hugging her tight, but Veronica stops him before it can get too far. “I love you.”

 

 

 

Veronica falls asleep, and Archie is left alone in his darkness. Worse than ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              _1 week later_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun shines on the morning of the funeral, bringing Betty into the spotlight in front of everybody for the last time in her short, problematic life. Archie glances sideways at Veronica, her face half hidden behind the black netted veil connected to her headband as they come milling into the graveyard from the carpark. He wishes he had thought to wear sunglasses. Instead, like Betty’s parents, his face is blotchy and tear stained and his discomfort is clear for all to see- something Veronica had warned him about.

 

 

 

Too many people came. Family, friends, everyone at school and their families, The Cooper’s even most distant business associates.

 

 

 

Mrs Cooper keeps trying to catch Archie, wanting him to stand up front like Betty would have wanted. But he pretends to be too lost in his own grief to avoid looking at her. It’s making his stomach squirm.

 

 

 

Mr Cooper says too many and too little words, and the vicar does the same, and there’s going to be a memorial for their precious daughter in New York City as soon as possible. Some of them are stricken by the idea- needing time to accept Betty’s loss first before seeing her pictures on a memorial.

 

 

 

 

Archie’s more than happy to escape the church. He couldn’t handle looking at the coffin and seeing Betty, cold yet beautiful, inside of it. He keeps imagining that her eyes will open full of dead anger and malice. Who would she want revenge on? Him or Veronica?

 

 

 

 

In front of everyone else, Alice, Hal, and Polly are holding each other tightly.

 

 

“I want to know who did this” Alice says, tearfully. “my Elizabeth. Who killed her? Who killed my baby?! Who killed my baby”

 

 

 

“We don’t know for sure yet honey” Hal answers, softly. “Detective Robin has the lead.. but they still need to investigate”

 

 

 

“Investigate what?!” She asks. A group of people look over, the sharpness in Alice’s voice like a knife through the air. “I don’t care! Someone killed our Betty...”

 

 

Polly embraces her mother, ignoring the crowds that are slowly dispersing, getting back to their own lives. “Okay, mama. They’re going to find who it is”

 

 

“Polly” Alice whimpers, clinging onto her daughter that left and has now returned, a bigger hole in their family than ever before. “What happened to Betty..”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hey” Veronica walks over to Archie, placing a hand on his torso as he turns around. “What’s going on?”

 

 

 

“You know what’s going on” he mutters, frowning.

 

 

 

Veronica almost wants to speak, but she drags her eyes away and spots the police on the perimeter. Dozens of men, by the graveyard gates, wearing suits but none involved, snapping pictures and amongst journalists- all no doubt waiting to get more pictures and stories of the scene to fill their morbid pages. They can’t risk being out in this vulturfest, especially with Robin available and possibly lurking around any corner- Veronica isn’t taking any chances. But she can tell the cracks are starting to show in Archie’s cool exterior, and of course; she’s not taking any chances.

 

 

 

It just so happens Mary Andrews catches the two of them, rigid and appearing to be mourning the loss of their best friend, the now missing part of their group, and she invites Veronica over for tea- she thinks it’ll be nice for everybody.

 

 

 

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Veronica bites her lips in hesitation. Mary had told her all about keeping up appearance and not showing face anywhere Robin might be able to poke something in- and Veronica and Archie are supposed to hate each other.

 

 

 

“Oh, to hell with it” Mary dismisses. “You two grew up together, having tea the morning after her funeral is hardly anything suspicious. You kids have been through so much” she pulls both of them into a hug, and Veronica thinks she might lose it then, having this- someone from the outside trusting her, in that moment she squeezes her eyes incredibly tight against her own tears.

 

 

 

The four of them climb back into the black town car, and they get swarmed needless to say, but here in the confines of the tinted black windows she can finally hold on to Archie’s arm and just breathe again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica and Archie try their best to remain neutral until Mary and Tom finally leave, vanishing back into the big house as the two of them move ever so slightly on the big white swing.

 

 

 

“Talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking”

 

 

 

Veronica sits up straighter, combing through her hair for a minute, not looking at Archie as she searches for the right words to explain what she’s feeling. “There’s still one more loose end” she says at last “the gun. If Tom realises it’s missing..”

 

 

 

“He has tons of guns” Archie’s voice trembles a little. “But you’re right”

 

 

Veronica shakes her head, covering her face with her hands. “The Blossoms are obsessed with guns though- and everybody knows that. They’ve been under fire for weeks. It’ll be easy to pinpoint it on them.” 

 

 

He can see how the lie is slowly breaking in her, even if just the by the smallest scale, Veronica might present a perfect face but Archie can see it. He can see it hallowing her. “What if we left?”

 

 

“What?”

 

 

 

Archie reaches towards her, and she lets him bring her closer so he can hold her, trying to soothe a lifetime of trauma with whatever is left of him.

 

 

“We could get out of here” his voice is almost harsh, but the fingers laced in her hair are soft and loving. “Not to New Haven, not to college” he goes on more quietly. “Just leave. You know as well as I do there are still- ways that Robin could find out what actually happened that night. But even if she doesn’t, I can’t stand living in this place and looking at the people I hurt after what I did.. and I know you can’t either, Ronnie”

 

 

 

“You want to run away?” She looks up into his eyes and they’re glistening with tears, threatening to spill over the verge. “But Archie.. we’re supposed to be students at Yale. My store is supposed to open in a month- plus who our parents are.. there’s too many things on the rise and they would find us in no time, then what?”

 

 

 

“So we need a plan” Archie gulps, leaning further away to look at her easier. “We’re eighteen, Veronica. We can get the money from our trust funds besides what we already have; we could go as far away as possible. It’s not like we can actually live the rest of our lives like nothing actually happened-“

 

 

 

Veronica sighs, hanging her head over the edge of the swing. “It doesn’t sound.. entirely bad. To start over.”

 

 

 

“Would you do it?” He sounds like a scared child, and she guesses he can tell by the way she’s looking at him. “Leave behind.. everything in your life?”

 

 

Veronica wants to cry too. “You are my life Archie. You know that. But.. I’m not saying yes yet.”

 

 

Archie stays quiet helplessly. “If we do- we’d still need a reason to run away that clearly implies us being guilty.”

 

 

 

“I have an idea” she bites gently on her lower lip. “I’m pregnant.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hallway in the New York City Police Department is crowded. The noise of the reporters outside and the heat of Spring, the jostling of bodies busy at work, and Detective Brooke Robin turns abruptly on two of her deputies.

 

 

“She’s the one. In the interrogation room. We have evidence now.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“On the 22nd of May, the night of The Lodges Charitable Foundation and the same night Elizabeth Cooper was found murdered in a lake less than 15 miles from the Civic Centre, you were there. You had your father’s gun, and you shot her in the head before leaving her there to be found by strangers, walking in the park. If you confess, or have proof of this never happening, now is the time to speak up.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheryl lifts her head when she hears those words. And for a moment, she does nothing but reel that dark hypnotic gaze.

 

 

 

Her face remains expressionless. “I don’t need any proof. Because you don’t have any either, don’t you?”

 

 

 

“We have proof. The heirloom ring Elizabeth was given, found in your coat from the night she was killed.” Robin says briskly. “Footage of you leaving the the party shortly before she had left. A motive. As your previous explicit online bullying proves you were willing to attack her in whatever way after your family had been under fire for weeks and she received what was supposed to be your inheritance. That’s why you killed her.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the dining room at the Lodge’s penthouse, everyone is silent in their early dinner. Hiram is on his phone which is unusual, but he places it down after a while. Veronica has a lingering suspicion about all of it. She’s been on edge ever since the funeral, always agitated despite carrying herself with an extra forced grace. And today, Cheryl had been taken out of school early. Rumours began flying, but the most reliable sources said she was brought in for questioning.

 

 

 

“Who was that, daddy? Anybody important?”

 

 

 

“You know the head of the FBI, Mr Ivy is a good friend of mine” Hiram says, unnecessarily. “And since this is such a close and important case.. I wanted to ask if there were ever anything new in the investigation.”

 

 

 

Hermione nods like she already knows what he’s talking about, but Veronica almost chokes on her Perrier. They never mention Betty, not ever. “And.. was there?”

 

 

 

 

“Just between our family of course” Hiram says gently. “A warrant has been issued for Cheryl Blossom’s arrest. They found that ring she was so hopeful for. Her family’s lawyers are still fighting back hard, but..”

 

 

 

Hermione can tell that Veronica’s fighting back a reaction. “I’m so sorry, honey. They were both great friends to you”

 

 

 

 

For some reason them uncovering the lie that she planted is making terror sweep in her lungs. Because that means that they can dig further. That means that either Cheryl could be in jail for life- or they would find out the truth. Neither seem like okay situations to face. No, no no no they can’t find out the truth.

 

 

 

 

She’s struggling to breathe evenly. Now is the time. There’s too much at risk now and I’m not sure I can handle it. “It’s not- that. In fact it has nothing to do with that. Mom, dad.. I-I have something to tell you. I made a mistake”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Extract from the _Manhattan Herald_ , 21st June**

 

 

 

 

After the dramatic and tragic events at The Lodges Charitable Foundation last week, police confirmed that they are still investigating the death of Elizabeth Cooper last month. Charges of murder and withholding evidence are being brought against one of her classmates. New York City heiress and former close friend of the victim Veronica Lodge has reported to be taking time off from Spence School, after the news outbreak of her untimely pregnancy with ex-boyfriend Archibald Andrews, however no confirmations have been made. Needless to say there is a lot of scandal surrounding the group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica holds the paper in her hand, it’s a shitty local gossip piece but it works. And Veronica has a hint of a smile in her eyes as she stares down the street of oblivious people, _it worked_.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x:x:x:x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two of them drive out in the dead of night, his car that they’ll have to leave at whatever far away airport they choose to fly from and their entire legacy slowly becoming smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. It fades in the roads and the darkness before dawn, and for a moment his eyes are stuck on her, dark raven locks like some kind of dark halo. She tips her head back and bites her bottom lip, a mix of relief and pain taking over her face.

 

 

 

Archie wonders if he’s even anywhere near as hurt as she is, by doing this. Because the saddest part about leaving behind their life was realising the only real thing about it is sitting right her next to him.

 

 

 

 

“We shouldn’t stop until we drive far enough and we can fly out of this country” she says. “We should be gone before it’s too bright in New York City. They’ll wake up and knowing our parents have people waiting for our names at every airport.”

 

 

 

 

“We have a couple more hours”

 

 

 

 

Their belongings are sparse, the only important things needed being their identification and all the money they had slowly transferred into a new bank account, one that their parents had no idea or control over and wouldn’t be able to touch.

 

 

 

She remembers the way her living room looked, right before she left- the hazy orange hue of the fire, the furniture she spent her whole life on. She imagines visions of her parents sitting on the sofa, watching one of their movies, imagines her climbing in with them as a kid.

 

 

 

“Do you feel bad about this?” Archie asks, his eyes set on the moon.

 

 

 

 

Veronica shrugs, and he thinks she is a little displeased. “I think... I feel like I should be. But I think I don’t. I spent my whole life building up my future and now.... maybe that’s what’s making me feel bad.”

 

 

 

 

He watches her again, the way her skin looks pale in the moonlight. “I’m sorry Veronica. I’m sorry I involved you in my mess and you had to choose me over.. everything else.”

 

 

 

She looks at him too, and then her expression shifts. She smiles truly, the light in her eyes glimmering like he’s flicked a switch. “I did because I love _you_ , Archie. And I am sad.. but if anything had happened to you? I couldn’t bear it”

 

 

 

Archie kisses the knuckles of her hand.

 

 

 

He wonders about the future, if they’ll ever go back to the place they grew up in one day. If they’ll ever return, and when they do, chaos would have surely broken out. But they have no way of knowing now. He wonders if years later Veronica will see her parents in a crowded street when they’re on on one of their vacations. He wonders if his father is terribly disappointed in him, or would have been, if one of their friends will seek them out one day and it will be over.

 

 

 

The only thing he knows is that they have each other, the rest is up in the air. And when he tells her about this, in the middle of an open road where the sky looks like cotton candy and the wind is spectacular, Veronica has a twitch in her lips. “Fuck everyone else, right? We only need each other.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that wraps up this crazy, twisted story. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that supported me, and my other friends for this ‘ficathon’ as well. A murder mystery is kind of something I’ve been wanting to write for a really really long time, so I did have the best time writing this fic- even as it was complicated and really hard at some points. I got really attached to all of the characters, and hopefully did them justice (well, the ones that survived anyway...) But I love you guys and hope you enjoyed it too.

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh!! that was it for the first chapter 💥💥 i’m not sure how you’ll feel; happy, sad, intrigued, maybe a bit of all? 🤔 
> 
> let me know in the comments and make sure to be constructive ❤️ I would really appreciate it. 
> 
> Thanks to all that read. And if you would like to talk to me more about this fic, or anything (in general) just hit me up on tumblt @ff16xo. I would love to talk to all of you guys
> 
> adios.


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